from staff
Jacksonville native and 22-year company veteran Vince McCormack has purchased Perdue Office Interiors, bringing the 91-year-old Jacksonville company back under local ownership.
Perdue Office Interiors is the leading office furnishing company in Northeast Florida. Originally founded by the Jacksonville Perdue family in 1916, Perdue Office Interiors has been owned for the past 20 years by Tom McAnallen, a Charlotte, N.C. resident who has owned several other office furniture distributorships throughout the Southeast.
McCormack, who lives in Ortega Forest on the same street he was born on, has worked at Perdue Office Interiors since college, working his way up from the operations department into sales positions with increasing levels of responsibility. In 1999, McCormack was promoted to director of sales and later vice president of sales. In 2002, he was promoted to general manager, and later, president of the company.
“My brother was working at Steelcase (Perdue’s marquee furniture line) when I was in college and introduced me to the company,” said McCormack. “I thought I’d be good at sales, but I also thought it was important to learn the product. So I started in warehouse operations and worked my way up. I always felt that if I worked hard and continued to ask for more responsibility that I would have a good career. I was also lucky – I had a lot of supervisors who helped me learn and advance.
“Tom (the previous owner) was very encouraging and supportive of me buying the company. He’s nearing retirement and really champions leaders at his companies who are interested in becoming owners.”
McCormack partnered with a local businessman and friend to purchase the company. He says the change should be seamless to clients, and it will be “business as usual” for employees.
“When Vince announced to all our employees that he bought the company, everyone was very excited,” said Gaye Hanley, Perdue’s executive vice president. “We have great group of employees and a real family-oriented atmosphere. So it was just very exciting to know that Perdue is now owned by someone who cares so much about the company and our community in general.”
McCormack estimates that Jacksonville’s office furniture market is worth approximately $90 million, with the total U.S. office furniture market valued at $11 billion, according to the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association. Perdue Office Interior’s annual revenue is approximately $25 million. The company, with 55 employees, serves large institutional clients as well as mid-market and retail clients. The company’s Baymeadows Road headquarters features a retail store, where clients can browse for their furniture needs and speak with a consultant.