Interview with W. H. ("Pete") Fenoglio concerning his experiences as General and Regional Manager of Haverty's Furniture Company in Houston, Texas. Fenoglio discusses his family background, the Fenoglio settlement in Montague County, Texas, farming in Montague County, grape production and the effects of the Prohibition on business, his education in Montague, the effects of the Depression in Montague, and his employment with Haverty's Furniture in 1928. He also talks about the history of the company, his work as a door-to-door salesman, the origin of the $1.00 down and $1.00 a week credit business, the expansion of stores in Houston, his promotion to store floor salesman in 1939, his promotion to assistant manager and manager of the Houston stores, and his appointment to and experiences on the board of directors in 1960. Fenoglio recalls the purchasing and closing out of the National Stores chain in 1961, building stores in the Houston suburbs in the 1960s, his experiences as western regional manager of stores, buying merchandise for stores, management training, sales volume and competition in the Houston market, the closing of Houston stores in 1980, and the financing of the stores and the organizational structure. He also comments on the unionization of Haverty's stores in Houston, his experiences dealing with a warehouser's strike, the use of advertising, the success of the Dallas store, the Depression in Houston, his participation in trade associations, his dealings with OSHA and EEOC, his managerial practices, and his civic activities in Houston and Nocona.
