Lynchburg Business

Phil’s Upholstery: No Longer a Man’s World

Issue: May 2010 by Julie Snowman in Business Profiles, Inside The Magazine

Phil’s Upholstery is one of the largest upholstery businesses in Virginia and has been a staple of its kind in Lynchburg since 1970, serving loyal customers from the city, surrounding counties and from as far away as New York. Customers bring their treasured items in for refurbishing at this trusted establishment that also refinishes and paints furniture, builds headboards, valances and ottomans, does work for commercial buildings and works with interior designers in and around Lynchburg. And it’s all because of the ingenuity of one local woman, Phyllis M. Kerr. Yes, you read it right—the “Phil” in Phil’s Upholstery is actually a female.

Kerr’s career as an upholsterer began after she started answering the phones for her father’s business, Fear’s Upholstery, which was located on Main Street in Lynchburg. Inspired by the work being done there, Kerr eventually decided to cover her own sofa. It was a decision that turned out well for Kerr, in more ways than one.

“Then one of dad’s employees asked me to cover a piece of his furniture and he was very satisfied with the result,” Kerr said.  “I started working out of the front of my dad’s shop and more and more work came in until eventually I had to hire some help.”

Kerr soon had so much work coming in that she had to move to a bigger building, but that didn’t satisfy the business’ need for space for long.

“So much more work came in after the move that I had to acquire an even bigger building and hire more help,” she explained.

Shortly thereafter, Phil’s Upholstery moved to its location on Memorial Avenue, where it has remained for the past 15 years. But for many newcomers and even long-timers in Lynchburg, the name is still misleading, giving many the impression that they will speak to a man named Phil when they walk in. Kerr explains her decision to name it such, saying that 40 years ago attitudes towards female business owners were far different than they are today.

“A lot of people thought upholstery was a man’s business, and naming it Phil’s was a good business decision at the time,” Kerr said. “As a woman, I am naturally picky about my work, and the more people saw the quality of my work, the more it was accepted and I haven’t stopped since.”

So while her longetivity proves that quality trumps gender bias, Kerr says that even after all these years in business, she holds herself to the same high standard. As a result, business is still booming.  Customers come to her from miles around and states away—not bad for someone who has never advertised her business.

“In over 40 years, the only thing I have advertised for is help,” Kerr said. “All of my customers come to me by word-of-mouth, and I have many repeat customers.”

Kerr also claims that the prices she charges for her work have not gone up in the last 20 years. Her customers do not have to make down payments and when a job is completed, the customer can inspect the quality of the work and pay only if they are satisfied.

“You must have a lot of patience for the work this business takes, and the customer is always right!” she said of the things she has learned over the years.

As for her employees, Kerr says they are just as loyal as her customers and most of the seven currently working for her have been with her for at least 20 years.

“If they leave the business at any point, they always come back,” she said.

Many who’ve known her for years point to this attitude as yet another gauge of Kerr’s reputation as an astute business woman and a good employer. It’s fortunate the employees she has retained are loyal as Kerr says that finding experienced upholsterers is a difficult task.

“Unfortunately, upholstery is a dying trade and there is nowhere locally where people interested in learning this trade can do so, but we employ seven of the best upholsterers around, who, like me, are all self-taught,” Kerr said.

Despite the fact that qualified employees are difficult to find, Kerr says the business is still going strong and she doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon. In fact, she says would love to move to an even bigger building and hire more employees to further accommodate her ever-expanding business.

“But at my age, it’ll be in my son’s hands soon,” Kerr reasoned.

Tim Martin is the manager of Phil’s Upholstery but Kerr says even after he does take over, she has no plans on retiring.

“I love my work, as I am always doing something different,” Kerr said.  “I can’t imagine retiring, but Tim has been working here for almost 20 years and knows the business well, plus he is the brains. I taught him well.”