Cutting his teeth in the industry at Beaulieu, OW Hospitality, and Kravet Contract, Dallas Chapman brings 20 years of experience to Bernhardt Hospitality, where he joined as the brand’s vice president and general manager in 2020.
What excited you about joining Bernhardt?
It’s a family-owned business with a 133-year history. Although the hospitality division is about 14 years old, the brand has incredible equity within the design community. It was also very attractive to me to join a brand that led with design. With the custom side of our business, our goal is to deliver projects with the designers’ full intent in place. We also provide them with our expertise to help them not only achieve their desired look but also give them a product that’s going to be functional and well-engineered, as well as on budget and meets their lead time requirements.
How did Bernhardt navigate the pandemic?
The company has been through the Spanish flu, the Great Depression, 9/11, the Great Recession, and now COVID. With [that many] years under your belt, you learn to navigate through highs and lows. With that experience, we’ve been able to come out on the other side stronger and more diverse in our product offerings. We doubled down on inventory. We felt we were in a better position than most companies because of the amount of inventory we had in stock in North Carolina. We were able to capture the business that was there in the hospitality space because of that inventory position. On the custom side, we delivered two of our biggest projects ever during COVID—the St. Regis Bermuda Resort and the Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos.
The Lunula credenza’s four doors flaunt cast resin fronts in Vellum finish, while the Kaori cocktail table boasts a textured cast concrete base
How has the company’s legacy influenced its business model?
CEO Alex Bernhardt Jr. is the fourth-generation Bernhardt currently running the company. There’s a thread through all the generations that is important to helping the company move forward. The family is very invested in the furniture business and has put in the resources to be successful.
What are some of the greatest challenges and opportunities the industry is facing?
We’re faced with inflationary costs, interest rates going up, and the situation in Ukraine. All those things are uncertainties in how they affect our industry. But I’m [optimistic] about the future of [hospitality]. One thing I’ve taken away from the last two years is that we all need each other. Whether you’re a vendor, a designer, a procurement company, a brand, or a developer, our hospitality ecosystem is dependent on each other. The last two years have magnified that.
What is the key to Bernhardt’s longevity?
Our secret is commitment to the customer. We play the long game. We want customers for life. That goes into everything we do, whether it’s our customer service team, our project management team, or our sales force. We want our customers to look good for their clients and their end users. We want to play our part in making sure that our customers’ needs are taken care of and that we continue to deliver service that meets their demands.
This interview is part of a series highlighting some of the hospitality industry’s most successful manufacturers. Read our previous interviews with Bryan Ashley, Fabric Innovations, and Durkan.
