Client Profile
Jimmy Hsieh, President, Easy Life
Jimmy Hsieh, President of Easy Life Furniture, is also one of the founders of the family owned business. “It started with my dad,” he says. “He was in furniture manufacturing in Taiwan, and the first store we opened in1996 sold close-outs from his factory.”
“Eventually my folks moved here,
and we decided to focus on retail sales,
but with a difference. We ordered our goods directly from the
factories in the Far East. We passed the cost savings on to our
customers, and this allowed us to quickly gain market share.”
Since their early success, Easy Life has opened eighteen stores
throughout Southern California. The nineteenth opens soon in
West Los Angeles.
Jimmy keeps tabs on the family operation from Easy Life
corporate headquarters in Buena Park. He has seen several
significant changes in the industry since their company’s
inception. “In the old days,” he explains, “retailers would buy
from wholesalers, who had purchased the goods from factories
in the US.”
“Now there’s what we call the ‘China-Effect.’ Retailers,
especially the larger operations, are able to cut costs dramatically
by buying in volume directly from manufacturers in China, and
pass the savings on to the customer.” Consumer trends have
changed as well, Hsieh says. “We’ve seen traditional styles give
way to more contemporary designs over the last few years.”
Easy Life has been contracting with DSI for about three
years. “DSI is a very professional company. They operate with
a tremendous amount of honesty and integrity. “Their people
know what they’re doing, in addition to being straightforward,
and we really like the way they’re open to new ideas,” he added.
“We want to build on our good relationship.”
DSI Group Director Dave Drury, concurs. “Jimmy is a hands-on
leader who gets to the root of an issue very quickly, and
then works as a partner with us to resolve it. This makes for an
effective relationship that benefits both parties.”
Jimmy’s goals for Easy Life are focused on “building a strong,
solid company that will be around long after I retire. I’d like
to think that our company would continue to be profitable and
healthy even if it changed ownership,” he says. “That’s my
philosophy of how a company should be.”
Hsieh keeps busy when he’s not presiding over Easy Life by
snowboarding, riding his motorcycle, playing golf, surfing, or
practicing target shooting at outdoor ranges. “I actually do it
all,” he assures the Dispatch, “I really enjoy life!”
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