After surging onto the scene in 2007, BERMANFALK has turned momentum and raw talent into long-term success and is now one of the most sought-after manufacturers of casegoods in the hospitality industry. Each year, BERMANFALK defies limitations and changes the belief that there isn’t a way, by finding a way—showing everyone that impossible isn’t in their playbook. So who is BERMANFALK? What do they stand for? This week, we interviewed Daniel Berman, BERMANFALK’s Sales Manager, who embodies one of the company’s driving values, pride, to find out.
What made you decide to work in the hospitality manufacturing industry?
This is an incredibly unique industry and within that uniqueness lies opportunity. I wanted to not only be proud of the work I did, but be able to use my skillset to exceed personally and contribute to the success of the company. When the opportunity to work for BERMANFALK arose, I couldn’t say no—who would pass on a chance to work with great people, on great projects, and in great locations?
How do you infuse pride into your work? What does pride mean to you at BERMANFALK?
Pride is infused into the very essence of what we do—from every e-mail we write, every phone call we make, and every conversation we have. Where does that pride come from? It’s the pride that comes from representing a company that embodies passion, integrity, and creativity. For me, I’m proud of the simple things that are often overlooked in this industry: attention to detail and executing high-level communication.
When it comes down to it, if you aren’t proud of the work you are doing, then you probably need to make an adjustment or change. At BERMANFALK, we hold ourselves to a very high standard and know that our clients expect the same. Living up to that standard and exceeding expectations is something to be proud about day in and day out.
What motivates you to embody BERMANFALK’s motto, “Your Style. Your Way.”?
Our clients. I spend the majority of my time travelling all over North America meeting with designers, purchasers, owners and brands. It is an incredible process to see a project go from initial concept to final installation. Meeting with clients and strategizing about how we can help make their vision a success is something I love to do. Collaboration is what we do best at BERMANFALK, and when we can get involved early, we add the most significant value in bringing the design to life. I always say that everyone on the project has to be pulling on the same end of the rope to be successful. When we are able to collaborate and approach a project like this, it’s not an “us and them situation”—it’s a partnership.
Can you tell us more about your role at BERMANFALK?
At BERMANFALK, I have the role of Sales Manager. I work closely with our sales reps and spend a lot of time with our clients. This includes everything from initial introductions to our company, all the way to in-depth strategy meetings around design, budgets, scheduling, and more. I get to spend a lot of time “in the trenches” of projects at the early stages. Often, this means sharing insight from past experiences of what worked or what didn’t work to contribute to the success of the project.
How do you approach your work with designers, purchasers and hoteliers?
The term “partnership” is one we often use at BERMANFALK because we believe in building long-term relationships with each of our clients. A simple look at our past projects goes to show just that—we have a lot of repeat customers because they see the value we bring to the table, and we mutually view each other as partners in the success of an overall project.
What is the most challenging part of being in the business of casegoods and seating manufacturing?
In the world of custom casegoods and seating, one of the biggest challenges is that every project is unique. It is also one of the most exciting parts. Each project we work on has its own set of challenges and working through these towards an incredible finished product is what the business is all about. Seeing a finished project, a project you’ve been a part of since conceptualization come to life, sometimes after years and years of work, is something for the entire team to be proud of.
Do you have any tips/tricks that help you stay passionate, motivated, and focused day to day?
It is really about loving what you do. As much as I love furniture and the projects we are involved in, what I am really passionate about is our clients and our partnerships. Working to always be better is a self-motivator, and that passion has to come from within. Once you have it, it feeds itself and builds a life you can be proud of.