The interesting thing about brothers Don and Greg Wright is that, in spite of all of their differences, they are fundamentally very much alike, valuing family, responsibility and hard work. What makes them such a formidable team, both in business and as brothers, is that they accept each other for who they are, building upon their individual strengths.
Don puts it this way: “If there’s a tightrope out there, I’m going to walk it. Greg, on the other hand, will study it, consider it and then define the consequences of walking that rope.”
The pair, along with a third brother, Ron Wright, and a cousin, Doug Wright, lead Wright of Thomasville, a printer and provider of labels and point–of–purchase branding materials that was founded by their father and uncle, Bill and Tom Wright, in 1961.
The company serves a variety of business segments, including the carpet and rug, furniture and mattress industries. To the mattress industry, Don and Greg are the face of Wright of Thomasville, attending most trade shows and furniture markets and working with bedding companies on their marketing needs. The company is active in the International Sleep Products Association and Don is past chairman of the organization.
Whether he’s skiing, cycling, kayaking, surfing or riding his Harley–Davidson motorcycle, Don Wright is usually on the move when he gets free time from his roles at Wright of Thomasville.
Getting into the business
In spite of a strong preference—at the time—for becoming a ski instructor or maybe a long–distance truck driver, Don has been with the family–run company since he graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., in 1986.
“Our dad always expected us to go and work somewhere else, but when I graduated, the company was going through a major expansion and he needed someone to run machinery,” he says.
If Don joined the family business out of a sense of responsibility, he has stayed because of love.
“I think that I have ink in my blood,” Don says. “I love the printing business and I love the mattress industry, which is goofy and full of amazing characters.”
He continues: “When I started, printing was still a dirty, rolled–up sleeves kind of business, but there’s been a wholesale shift in technology since then. Now it’s creative, innovative and satisfies my personal passions.”
Greg Wright took far longer to join the corporate fold. After graduating from Virginia Polytechnic and State University (otherwise known as Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Va., in 1992, he went to work for the Ritz–Carlton Hotel Co., where he worked in quality assurance and guest services. He followed that with a stint at the Dunhill Hotel, a boutique property in Charlotte, N.C.
“Our dad really did want us to do whatever we wanted to do,” Greg says. “I guess I wanted to be different a lot of the time, so I went my own way.”
Greg Wright enjoys cooking and appreciates wine. He’s seen here sampling at Childress Vineyards in Lexington, N.C., a customer of Wright of Thomasville.
After spending several years in the hospitality industry and following the death of their father in 2002, Greg began to rethink his career path. When his family asked him to consider working for Wright of Thomasville, it began a larger process of restructuring the company to improve stability and increase growth.
Greg links the process to management guru Jim Collins’ Good to Great. In the book, Collins explores ways in which strong organizations can be turned into outstanding ones that produce remarkable, sustained results. In one example, Collins compares a business with a bus traveling toward a destination. Each passenger has a role to play. The challenge is to find the right passengers and to place them in the correct seats.
“We had to work some things out,” Greg says. “We actually had to get everyone on the right seat of the bus. This took some time—and we may still be tweaking it. You want to be fair, but fair doesn’t mean that everyone gets exactly the same thing. Fair means that everyone’s contribution moves the business from good to great.”
Building on his affinity for technology, Greg finally joined the company in 2004 as information technology manager.
Strong, separate roles
Greg’s decision made brother Don a happy man.
“Greg has been a lifesaver and a gift,” Don says. “I’m pretty hard to be around sometimes, but Greg was willing to take my creativity and make sense out of it. He is the steady hand on the whirlwind that is my brain and handles the business management that I’m terrible at.”
Today, Don serves as executive vice president of business development and chairman of the company’s board. Greg is president and chief executive officer—two stabilizing roles that he embraces.
“I know that Don is never going to do reports, but I’m really glad that he’s in front of our customers. I feel like my job is to support him. Don and I are both very passionate and we lock horns a lot. It can be hard and it’s not perfect—even now—but we do have a lot of fun.”
Both brothers give their parents and their uncle, who is no longer active in the business, credit for structuring the company so that it could pass securely to a second generation.
“Our parents and our uncle did a great job of putting the pieces of the puzzle together so that it would all work,” Greg says. “We are a family business that runs like a corporation. Our parents also raised us to be very independent and taught us how to work hard.”
“If you love and respect each other, the ‘work’ just happens,” Don adds.
And the “work” part does seem to be working for Wright of Thomasville.
The home furnishings industry, including mattresses, represents about 40% of the company’s business, but it has expanded its reach into the beverage industry, from wine to water and distilled spirits. In the past three years, Wright of Thomasville also has added companies in the action sports and hosiery/apparel industries.
The Wrights are particularly pleased with their expansion into Asian markets, which began about four years ago. The company is adding equipment and expanding its facility in China to better serve customers in China, India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Don says: “Business development for us really means looking for new techniques and processes to bring to our customers so that they can accomplish what they want to do.”
Briefly
Name Greg Wright
Position President & chief executive officer
Company Wright of Thomasville
Location Thomasville, N.C.
Age 44
Education Greg Wright earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Virginia Polytechnic and State University in Blacksburg, Va., in 1992. He concentrated his studies in the hospitality industry.
Family Greg and his wife, Gretchen, have been married for 16 years and have a
15–year–old son.
Briefly
Name Don Wright
Position Executive vice president of business development & chairman of the board
Company Wright of Thomasville
Location Thomasville, N.C.
Age 50
Education Don Wright earned a bachelor’s degree in printing management and technology from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., in 1986.
Family Don and his wife, Beverly, have been married for 21 years and have two adult daughters.
Shared passions
Different as they can be, Don and Greg Wright share a number of interests. They both love music and sing in their church choirs. Don also does a regular turn as lead singer of the Insomniaczzz, the mattress industry’s rock band.
The brothers also appreciate the visual arts. Don volunteers at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tenn., where he lives. Greg focuses on collecting the paintings of artists who work in and around Greensboro, N.C., “smothering the walls” of his nearby home with them.
Don and Greg say their parents instilled them with a thirst for learning, an appreciation of people and a strong sense of community. Greg has long been active in Scouting and serves on the board of the Old North State Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Don, who has a passion for Shakespeare, has acted in community theater.
Let me tell you about my brother
Like many brothers, Don and Greg Wright have turned teasing each other into an art form. When they talk about each other, however, the teasing is replaced by affection and respect.
Don on Greg:
“Greg is a studious guy who loves to learn, especially about history. He also has this really quirky knowledge base filled with obscure facts about history, wine and food. I’m always amazed by the things he knows.
“He’s also a religious scholar. He has a deep spiritual sense and a quiet faith about him that’s wonderful to see.
“Greg’s a family guy. He busts his butt for his family and our extended family. He bears a tremendous burden in our business and he takes that responsibility seriously. It would have been easy to come into a successful family business and slack off, but that’s not my brother.”
Greg replies: “I did want to be ordained in the Episcopal Church. I actually got through the first stage right after my father died, but it got put on the back burner. My retirement goal is to become an ordained deacon and serve my community.”
Greg on Don:
“Don loves the outdoors. He mountain bikes, skis, kayaks and surfs. When we had a companywide picnic to celebrate our 50th anniversary in business, he ran the golf course.
“He has five bicycles of his own, eight to share with friends and family—and he rides his Harley. He’s out riding bikes while I’m in the kitchen cooking. My 15–year–old son says that he wants to go live with the ‘cool’ part of the family.”
Don replies: “I’m a full–on ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) adult male with a touch of hyperactivity. I cope by slinging my body through the woods really fast, because nothing makes you focus like the threat of breaking some ribs.”
