Richard Crallé
Richard “Dickie” Crallé, owner of Green Front Furniture, inherited the store from his father. Richard Crallé Sr. originally owned a grocery store on Famville’s Main Street, Green Front Grocery. He decided to buy an adjacent store and stock it with inexpensive and promotional furniture, and thus Green Front Furniture was born.
Dickie worked at Green Front during high school. He remembers collecting payments of $4 or $5 and making local furniture deliveries around Farmville. He also began installing wall-to-wall carpet on the side. A graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, Dickie officially took Green Front Furniture over in the 1960s. He soon bought Building #1, a century old building that had most recently housed a hardware store. It was Dickie’s first independent venture, one which he undertook while also running the Red Lion Bar across the street.
Dickie quickly changed Green Front's direction from selling promotional furniture items to offering higher quality items with a lower markup than traditional retail. Dickie learned to buy and ship goods directly to save customers money. He paid cash wherever he could to avoid debt. And he did something virtually no one else was doing at the time—travelling straight to the source to select and purchase handcrafted, high end rugs and furniture from all over the world. Dickie has built relationships with suppliers from North Carolina to Indonesia so that Green Front can offer the highest-quality rugs, furnishings, and home decor at astoundingly low prices.
Den Crallé
Richard “Den” Cralle III currently serves as the president of Green Front Furniture. Den received a degree in General Business from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University after attending Woodberry Forest School in 2009. He serves on the board of Farmville Downtown Partnership. Den spends his time deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of the fifty-year-old business, modernizing and streamlining operations, conducting buying trips overseas, as well as continuing to strengthen ties with the local Farmville community. In his free time, Cralle enjoys traveling and honing his photography skills.
Dianne Cunningham
Dianne Cunningham partnered with Dickie Cralle to launch Accessories, Inc., Green Front’s exclusive home decor and accessories store located in Buildings 5, 15, and 16, along with a Clearance Center in Building 12 known as the Boneyard. Dianne is responsible for choosing unique items from all around the world to complement Green Front’s hand-crafted, high-quality furniture. Accessories, Inc. was founded on the idea that accessories, home decor, accents, and furnishings for the home should be exceptional in comfort, style, and quality. Dianne travels abroad to India, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines three to four times a year to find the perfect accessories for your home.
Dianne, who grew up in the area, went to college at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. She majored in economics and chemistry, but returned to work at Green Front when she was offered a job. Using an eye for design she didn’t realize she had, Dianne helped establish Green Front’s now-booming business with imported rugs. When Accessories, Inc opened its doors in 1987, she used her now-seasoned eye to find home accents and home decor. Married with three children, Dianne has been working with Green Front for 33 years, and has a daughter, Colby Cunningham, who works in Green Front’s Human Resources division. Her dedication and eye for design bring inspiration and style to Green Front and to your home.
In Memory of John Wingo
John R. Wingo, Jr., a pillar of Green Front Furniture, died August 14, 2018 at age 60. John was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, friend and boss. He was just 45 days shy of devoting 41 years to Green Front, a Furniture Today Top 100 Furniture Stores designee, and a company he truly believed in and loved.
"John embodied servant leadership here at Green Front. No task was too small or too large. From buying trips in England to plowing the parking lots after a snow, John was willing to do it all. " says Richard F. "Den" Cralle, III, shareholder and son of founder Richard F. Cralle Jr. "He was a mentor and a rock to many at Green Front, including myself. He will be sorely missed."
In addition to his passion for Green Front, John enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, riding his motorcycle and rooting for the Redskins. In his early years, he was a private pilot and also enjoyed skydiving. He was also a volunteer firefighter for the Farmville Fire Department.