Page 108 - Lighting Magazine January 2019

top: Willoughby (le ) is incredibly proud to work with the Charleston Lighting sta , some of whom pre-date his arrival at the showroom in 2012.
FixerWhile in movies and TV shows a “ xer” can have negative connotations (removing evidence of a crime scene, for example), Kenneth Willoughby has become the go-to man when a lighting showroom is either having a tough time or start-
Ken Willoughby’s experiences
in building construction, visual merchandising, and woodworking have culminated in a career
that has made him one of most respected experts in showroom operations today.
BY LINDA LONGO
94 enLIGHTenment MagazIne | January 2019
ing from scratch.
Like many, Willoughby says he entered the lighting
industry “by accident” 30 years ago. A former pipe layer, he was happily working for a builder in Georgia, when he was approached by the entrepreneurial owner of the business – who loved buying property – to open up a lighting showroom.
“I told him I wasn’t interested in lighting and that I knew nothing about it,” he recalls. His boss persisted and Willoughby continued to resist the opportunity until – surprise! – the owner went ahead and purchased a building for that purpose and a erward asked Wil- loughby to at least look at the property. “It had been a Goodyear Tire Center. I told him, ‘You’ll never get the smell of grease out of it,’” he comments. Not one to take no for an answer, the owner succeeded in convincing Willoughby to give it a try. And yes, he was able to re- move any lingering scent.
“I started out cold,” Willoughby states. “Sometimes you have to step out on faith.” He began reading electrical and lighting-related magazines as well as manufacturer catalogs to bring himself up to speed. “I loved lighting almost immediately. I felt a kinship for it,” he explains.
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