by HICKORY, N.C. – Industry legend and manufacturing giant Harold Whittemore “Buddy” Sherrill died at his home here on March 24. He was 96.
Sherrill was credited for maintaining his company’s domestic manufacturing presence in Hickory and the surrounding Catawba area of North Carolina for decades as the industry moved manufacturing to Asia and other parts of the world.
“Buddy Sherrill lived life to the fullest and held nothing back when it came to the Sherrill Furniture family, his people and business that he loved dearly,” the company said in a statement announcing his passing. “Buddy doubled down on his commitment by shortening the
supply chain for production of raw materials needed for furniture manufacturing by bringing cushion manufacturing, cotton manufacturing, solid wood frame production and a shipping fleet in-house as well.”
“After 73 years of consistent, steady and caring leadership, all of us at Sherrill Furniture Co. have grown to love him deeply,” said Thad Monroe, president. “Buddy’s commitment to local craftspeople and willingness to invest in this community to keep case goods and upholstery manufacturing going strong is something that everyone in the furniture industry has benefited from.”
Over the years, Sherrill also is credited with building and sustaining a well-known and well-respected group of brands at the luxury segment that included CTH-Sherrill Occasional, Hickory White, Precedent Furniture, Motioncraft, Whittemore-Sherrill and Mr. & Mrs. Howard.
The company said that Charles Sherrill, the third-generation owner of Sherrill Furniture Co., is committed to sustaining his
father’s vision for this company.
“One thing my dad made sure I understood is that the responsibility of leading Sherrill Furniture is never just about the money,” said Sherrill, CEO and senior vice president, product development. “If it were, then he could have sold the company many different times. This company is and will continue to be all about the people and the families who make this industry possible.”
Home News Now invites readers to share their thoughts of Buddy Sherrill by reaching out to Tom Russell at tom@homenewsnow.com. We will update this obituary as more details become available.
Buddy was the finest of gentlemen I have ever known in the home furnishings business. As a new young upholstery buyer at Huffman Boyle he treated me with respect and patience from our first meeting. As I advanced through my career and assumed the Presidency of W&J Sloanes San Francisco and eventually purchased W&J Sloanes of Beverly Hills, Sherrill Upholstery remained our biggest supplier throughout the years. It was very difficult to negotiate with Buddy because he maintained a calmness and coolness that made it difficult to argue when he didn’t agree with the proposal. On a personal note we purchased Ferrari 512 Boxers separately but during same time period and enjoyed sharing tales of racing through the mountains in California and North Carolina. Buddy was a “man’s man”. His friendship will be missed. Special prayers to his family. Laurence Crink
I always valued my conversations with Buddy which began in 1981 when I was DMM at Gimbel Bros and continued through out my career until I retired in 2020. My condolences to his family and friends. He was a pivotal figure in the furniture industry.