WATCH: Eugene Smith has been with Star Furniture in Bryan for 45 years. (December 2024)
In a time where it seems some people change jobs more often than they change their underwear, Eugene Smith is showing some serious staying power.
The 71-year-old sales consultant at Star Furniture in Bryan has been with the company for 45 years and he's not slowing down.
"I have been here 45 years, and the reason that I stay here so long is that they let me be me," he said.
When he is not at the store selling furniture, he is leading his band, Eugene Eugene and the Solid Foundation Band. He is also the former publisher of Back To Basics Magazine and owns a couple of rental houses.
"I've always believed that you don't put all your eggs in one basket," he said. "So I had an income coming from here, which was nice. I had an income coming from my band. I had a couple of rent houses. ... And so, if one wasn't working for you, you know, you have something always to fall back on."
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Smith has always had his job at Star Furniture to depend on since his first day in 1979.
"I came here Aug. 1, 1979, and got started on the floor. And I thought it was a really nice-looking building as I drove by each day," he said. "I just came in, and I was looking for another job, but I stopped by here one day and talked to Mr. Leon, the manager at the time, and he was the one that gave me an opportunity to work here."
Loring Britt has been the selling manager at Star Furniture and Smith's boss for the last six years.
"I've known Eugene for several years. Actually, I managed at Christopher's (World) Grille for 13 years, and Eugene used to play the piano for us over there. So it was, to my surprise when I got hired on here to work with Eugene," Britt said. "He's been a legend in the community and in the store itself, and a great inspiration to all the people who come through the store and have the opportunity to work with him.
"So it's been a total blessing. He's just a rock. He's always consistent. He's always the same. He's never moody or anything. He's just consistent. He loves the Lord Jesus Christ with all his heart, mind and body and soul, and he is truly a servant leader here in the Brazos Valley."
Smith's band plays a mix of rhythm and blues, jazz, and country and western music. Over the years he has played at numerous restaurants, retirement homes and at various venues and events. He has performed for President George H.W. Bush and other notable dignitaries over the years. He said he always told the crowd that he works for Star Furniture.
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"I could come back to work after playing the gig or something like that ... and they would come in the next day and say, 'Is Eugene here?'" he said.
Smith said working for Star Furniture hasn't been a one-way street. He has received a lot of perks over the years. The company was founded in Houston over 100 years ago by the Wolff family and most of Smith's tenure at the Bryan store was under the leadership of the late Chairman Melvyn Wolff.
"Mr. Wolff took care of the other ones that really put themselves out on the sell floor, and I was able to travel with Star Furniture," he said.
Smith said the top salesperson each year at each location would get an all-expense paid trip. Smith earned the trip 29 years in a row. He went to "about 20-some places, from the White House to New York City, Broadway, Tijuana, Mexico, Las Vegas, San Juan, Pikes Peak," he said.
Sometimes he brought one of his three children with him.
Smith said the secret to his success has been to listen to what the customer wants.
"Listen to the customer and show them what you know ... what they need or what their needs are. After you ask the right kind of question, you know what they are looking for, take them to that and be honest with them and give them thanks," he said. "You know, I have customers who I sold to and then they would have kids. They were bringing the kids in and buying them furniture. And then when they had grandkids, they would come in and ask for me."
Four years ago, Smith suffered a stroke which set him back quite a bit, but couldn't stop him. A man of deep faith in Jesus Christ, he continually prayed for his recovery.
"I was over at St. Joseph [hospital] for two months, and then they moved me over to St. Joseph Manor, and I used to go there and play piano for them. So when I got over there, they knew who I was," he said. "They brought me a keyboard in my room and let me do my therapy on keyboard. But I kept on saying that I wanted to live. I want to live. And one day the Spirit would come and say, don't stop moving. And I don't stop moving. I just move."
He said he was helped by his determination to help others.
"It comes back to you," he said. "You give out good vibes, you get good vibes back. You give up, you know, bad vibes, you get that back. But life is going to have its ups and downs. I've been up and down many times, but I always come back out, and the Lord always brings me right back out. No, he never leaves you, or he never forsakes you."
Britt said Smith's approaches to sales and life are a good mix for the store.
"I'm not here to sell you stuff. I'm here to consult and have solutions," Britt said. "That's what we do at Star as well. We don't sell you, we find solutions to whatever's going on. You know, if you got a new home, or you want to remodel, or you had a flood, or you had a fire, those types of things. We're here to help you get through those situations and do it in style with the best quality furniture available."
Smith and Britt said that quality products and attentive service are what keep customers coming back, even from afar.
"We have a lot of guests coming from Michigan, New York, California, Montana, moving down here to the Brazos Valley," Britt said. "Of course, you know Aggies love to gravitate back home to Aggieland, and when they come down here, they come shopping with us because they know the store and they know the name and the reputation, and they want quality, and they come to us and we take care of them."
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