joe carroll
In the highly competitive field of trade magazine publishing, Joe Carroll (b. 1939) has distinguished himself as a respected furniture leader, highly recognized for his contributions to the industry both here and abroad. As publisher, Mr. Carroll has led Furniture/Today to become the furniture and mattress industry's leading news publication and definitive source of industry statistics. He also has developed several sister publications, helped organize a global home furnishings publications group, written four books, won prestigious awards, and provided valuable service to the industry and community.
After graduating from the University of Virginia and then earning a master's degree from Princeton and studying for a year at the Sorbonne in Paris, Mr. Carroll taught at several universities. He joined advertising agency J.P. Hogan in 1969, where he rose to vice president. Mr. Carroll joined Furniture/Today in 1977 and was named publisher in 1985. He was instrumental in developing sister publications, Kids Today and Home Accents Today, as well as a daily e-mail news service. Under his leadership, Furniture/Today and its related publications have expanded the industry's information base and enhanced industry communications. He also helped organize and chaired the International Alliance of Furnishings Publications, which exchanges valuable industry information.
Mr. Carroll has a remarkable grasp of how the industry works and has shared his knowledge through speeches, television appearances, a newspaper column for the Greensboro News & Record, and four successful tabletop books on home furnishings design. Furniture manufacturers, retailers and importers seek his advice and respect his input and judgment. In 1997, the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association named him the Pillar of the Industry, and in 2006, he was honored with the City of Hope Spirit of Life award.
Mr. Carroll has served as president of the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation and its Legacy Board, and as chairman of the High Point University Home Furnishings Advisory Board. He is chairman elect of the High Point Museum and president of the Piedmont Triad Council for International Visitors. He has served on the boards of the High Point Chamber of Commerce and the String and Splinter Club and is part of the Greensboro "100 Club" of progressive leaders. He also is active in Furnitureland Rotary Club and as a fundraiser for the Newcomer's School, which helps support foreign children in the Greensboro area.