Plymouth Native happily Shares Talent
By Mike Siroky
Pilot News
PLYMOUTH � Once you make it in the world, it�s fun to come home again and share your fortune with old friends and new.
Debra Lee Venti, Plymouth high School Class of �85 is a top furniture designer. Her career track has taken her, so far, from Ancilla College to Busk Bro-thers Furniture, J.E. Walz Furniture, Pentaura wood products manufacturer in Greenville, S.C, and, now to Broyhill Industries as merchandise manager-upholstery.
No matter where that career path has led her, she knows it all started right here.
So, combining a visit with her daughters Aleeshia and BreeAnn to her parents, Mickey and Rick Davenport, she is hosting a special event Saturday at Banfich Interiors, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
There will be free gifts and refreshments, but, most of all, a chance to share the world of furniture design with a top industry creative talent.
Debra�s responsibilities at Broyhill � the largest furniture manufacturer in the country �includes merchandising the entire line. She will talk of design trends as well as new fabrics at her seminar.
�We do upholstery and case goods, pretty much everything for the house,� she said.
While at Walz, she experienced the joy of letting her talents loose. �This was a great introduction to the world of home fashion,� she said. �I had the opportunity to work with the some open and challenging citizens � my clients were excellent.�
Among the laurels she earned was a career project which included a designer home featured in and eight-page spread in �Charleston Home & Garden.�
Early this year, she landed at Broyhill.
�With a company the size of Broyhill, and five upholstery plants to develop products for them to run, I�ve been very stimulated,� she said. �It is really exciting to be across the country in a furniture retailer and hear a customer comment on how they love this Broyhill sofa or that Broyhill chair. � �To know that I�ve been a part of the team that developed that sofa or chair is really satisfying,� she said. �Broyhill is all about relationships. We want to grow our business in the hometowns.�
Broyhill is also the parent company for the Thomasville, Lane, Henredon, Drexel-Heritage and Maitland-Smith lines.
She enjoys keeping up with fashion trends. She will share the �Visions Decorating Guide� with seminar participants at Banfich.
�I view hundreds and hundreds of new fabrics for each furniture market (twice every year) and work with the design team on numerous frame designs,� she said.
�I�m looking forward to sharing what I�ve learned through the years as well as sharing the most up-to-date trends during my visit at Banfich. This is going to be a fun day,� she said. �We�re going over our new collection, including �Attic Heirlooms.� �Plus we�ll be showing some collections that won�t be out in consumer retailers hands until spring,� she said.
�The best thing, though, will be meeting with friends and hanging out, seeing their kids and my kids seeing theirs.�
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