Father-and-Son Duo Leaving Southern Textiles

By Larry Thomas -- Home Textiles Today, 3/31/2006 12:00:00 AM

Forsythe, Ga. — —

Forsythe, Ga. — Bob O'Neill, executive vp of sales at Southern Textiles, has resigned to pursue other opportunities in the furniture industry.

The company is a major supplier of linens to furniture stores. O'Neill said his resignation is effective April 7, exactly two years after the company was sold to Leggett & Platt. His son, Rob O'Neill, the company's product manager, is also leaving at that time.

Bob O'Neill has been associated with Southern Textiles since 1984, when he also was a sales executive at Rosalco, a now-defunct importer of metal furniture. O'Neill became a part owner of Southern shortly after leaving Rosalco in 1993, and was the company's managing director when the sale to Leggett & Platt was finalized.

He declined to discuss his future plans in detail, but said he and his son intend to stay in the furniture industry.

He pointed out that Southern Textiles sales have doubled since the Leggett acquisition, and said those figures would not have been attained if the company had remained independent.

“I have nothing bad to say about Leggett & Platt. They are very honorable people to work with,” O'Neill said. “It's just time for us to move on.”