CEO Chat with Natalie Hartkopf of Hightower

The Trend Report

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Natalie Hartkopf, CEO of Hightower, shares her journey in the furniture industry and how this family-founded business evolved from importing European designs to creating their own award-winning Hightower Studio products while becoming a certified B Corporation.
• Natalie started with Hightower around 2003, beginning in Seattle before moving to New York
• They shifted from purely importing European designs to manufacturing upholstered pieces in North Carolina
• Won Best of NeoCon recognition for their innovative Flote chair designed by their in-house design team
• Became a certified B Corporation, looking holistically at governance, community impact, and employee welfare
• They've implemented people-first initiatives including living wage commitments and 529 education savings contributions
• They're transparent about how they're navigating the current issues with fluctuating tariffs
• Focused on product discoverability to help specifiers find products that meet specific requirements
• Working to improve existing products with end-of-life and sustainability considerations
• Embraces AI tools to help team work more efficiently and provide better customer service
• Advocates for greater diversity in industry leadership positions, particularly racial diversity
Resources:

The Trend Report Ep. 38 - Rest and Recovery of the Corporate Athlete with Kibibi Springs - https://www.sidmeadows.com/episode38

Connect with Natalie:

Hightower - https://hightower.design/
Flote - https://hightower.design/collections/flote
Email - [email protected]
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliehartkopf/

Connect with Sid:

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Sid on Clubhouse - @sidmeadows
Subscribe to my LinkedIn Newsletter. https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/inside-contract-interiors-7298489501159460865/

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Chapters

1. CEO Chat with Natalie Hartkopf of Hightower (00:00:00)

2. Episode Introduction with Natalie Hartkopf (00:00:49)

3. Natalie's Journey in Furniture Industry (00:02:02)

4. Hightower Studio Product Development (00:03:35)

5. B Corp Certification Journey (00:06:14)

6. Creating a People-First Organization (00:10:17)

7. Navigating Tariffs and Industry Challenges (00:16:13)

8. Product Discoverability and Sustainability (00:19:05)

9. AI Implementation at Hightower (00:26:27)

10. Women and Diversity in Leadership (00:31:07)

11. Nomad Collaborative Showroom and Future Plans (00:37:17)

12. Final Thoughts and Contact Information (00:42:47)