Cory Home Delivery Service Embarks On Formal Quality Initiative Program

Furniture World Magazine

In a move designed to fortify its accelerating growth in the home delivery industry and meet the needs of the future, CORY Home Delivery Service is undertaking a rigorous quality initiative program. Conducted by quality management expert Roger Tunks of the Richard-Rogers Group based in Portland, Oregon, the comprehensive initiative focusing on service, leadership, efficiency, communication, and challenge consists of two two-day sessions held each in three of CORY’s key regions, Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey. The program is for all management at every location within the entire CORY operation. Presentation, evaluation, and coaching sessions will culminate in the first-ever company-wide management retreat September 21 through 23, which will be held in the New York City area. "This is an exciting time for us. Over the last four years the company has grown more than 20 percent each year, " says Chairman/CEO Joseph Cory, Sr. "The formal program led by Roger Tunks is designed to strengthen our infrastructure and ensure best practices as we expand. It is an important milestone integral to a solid foundation as we pursue the future and identify the leaders of tomorrow." With growth comes meeting challenges, says Mr. Cory. CORY has grown from a regional delivery and warehousing company in the Northeast to one of the largest home delivery organizations in America covering 16 different states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. CORY serves more than 40 different major clients that include the number one furniture retailer in America as well as many top 100 furniture and top 50 appliance retailers. The company has a workforce of nearly 300 and works with more than 300 owner/operator delivery teams. The transition from a mid-size regional warehousing and delivery operation to a large-scale dedicated delivery operation requires evaluating and updating practices and procedures. Part of the process involves choosing managers to be specialized trainers in their regions to perpetuate the quality initiative throughout every level of the company. Spearheading the program are CORY’s Director of Marketing Patrick Cory, Safety Director of the Southeast Jaime Montoya, and Program Coordinator JoAnne Wiley. "Senior management wants to identify managers and employees who can take on more responsibility down the road. We work consistently to measure performance and improve operations. Under the program, we anticipate expanding the business to twice its present size," says Joseph Cory, Sr. A family-owned and -operated business, CORY Home Delivery Service was founded by Joseph Cory in 1934. The company has grown to serve major retailers in the home furnishings, decorator, electronics and appliance markets. Among CORY clients are Rooms-To-Go, Ethan Allen, ABC Home Furnishings, Carson Pirie Scott, Crate&Barrel, Best Buy, Circuit City, and Federated Department Stores. Based in Jersey City, CORY serves markets in the Midwest, Southwest, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Northeast, and Puerto Rico. The company dispatches a modern fleet of 300 customized delivery vehicles daily and utilizes 1.4 million square feet of warehouse space. For more information, call Patrick Cory in Jersey City at 201-795-1000, extension 240, or visit the CORY Home Delivery Service Web site at www.corycompanies.com.