A Crisis at Hafford Furniture: Cloud Computing Case Study

Founded in 1970 by Don Feckle, Hafford Furniture began as a small furniture manufacturer based out of Beaumont, Texas. Hafford originally sold office furniture to businesses in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, but, by 1978, was supplying furniture to businesses throughout the entire South. By 1980, Hafford was the third largest furniture manufacturer in the United States, supplying a variety of furniture to retailers and wholesalers throughout the entire country. When asked in a 1981 interview what Feckle attributed the rapid success of Hafford to, he said ‘Hard work, perseverance, and a watchful eye over each penny.’ However, the recession during the early 1980s severely hurt Hafford’s business, and forced the company to close one-third of their factories. Sales fell by 73 percent over a two year period. Hafford was able to recover from its downturn, but never quite to the level of success and growth the company enjoyed before the recession. Additionally, as Feckle aged, his ability to run the company as astutely as he had in the past began to diminish, and many employees questioned some of his business decisions which typically included cutting costs in vital areas of the comA Crisis at Hafford Furniture: Cloud Computing Case Study