Oral history interview with Richard Barentine, January 28, 1999
Subtitle: interview I-0068, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007)
Contributors: Mosnier, Joseph, interviewer; Darr, Dorothy, 1946- interviewer; Southern Oral History Program; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Documenting the American South (Project); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library
Edition: Electronic ed.
Publisher: University Library, UNC-Chapel Hill
Published: 2006
Place of publication: [Chapel Hill, N.C.]
Language: eng
Subjects: Interviews; Chief executive officers; Furniture industry and trade; Societies; History; Industries; Trade associations; City promotion; International Home Furnishings Marketing Association (High Point, N.C.)
Other titles: Interview I-0068, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007); Interview with Richard Barentine, January 28, 1999; Oral histories of the American South.
Description: Richard Barentine arrived in Winston-Salem, NC, certain that the modest city in the middle of the state held a great deal of potential. In this interview, he describes his effort to nurture that potential, first as a member of the city's Chamber of Commerce, and eventually as CEO of the International Home Furnishing Marketing Association. Barentine took the lead in transforming the Southern Furniture Exposition into the International Home Furnishings Market, a wholesale furniture event of international importance. For most of this interview, Barentine recalls his efforts to shape and expand "the Market," detailing his strategy as it unfolded over a period of years. He also describes his focused leadership style, which emphasizes communication, and reflects on the history of Winston-Salem and North Carolina's furniture trade, which is expanding its global reach. This interview will be useful to researchers interested in Winston-Salem's furniture industry and in business leadership.
Notes: Title from menu page (viewed on Oct. 24, 2007).

Interview participants: Richard Barentine, interviewee; Joseph Mosnier, interviewer; Dorothy Darr, interviewer.

Duration: 03:05:00

This electronic edition is part of the UNC-CH digital library, Documenting the American South.  It is a part of the collection Oral histories of the American South.

Text encoded by Mike Millner.  Sound recordings digitized by Aaron Smithers.

Text (HTML and XML/TEI source file) and audio (MP3); 2 files: ca. 153 kilobytes, 338.8 megabytes.

Original version: Southern Oral History Program Collection, (#4007), Series I, Business history, interview I-0068, Manuscripts Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Original transcript: 71 p.

Funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this interview.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

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