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Jamie Mele is the 25-year old manager who has worked her way up the retail ladder, migrating to 505 from a competitor import store where she was employed as assistant manager for over 5 years.  Calm and collected, happy and easygoing, firm yet sensitive, Jamie is the ultimate manager to handle all the wild rides at 505.

Jamie is extremely proud of her family and her heritage:  her Mexican and Spanish grandparents, her Spanish mom, her Italian dad, and her beautiful 3-year old daughter, Maleah Rose, who is the love of her life.  She has been engaged for seven years and may one day follow through to “tie the knot.”  Her hippy, “free-spirited” personality fits in with the environment at 505, and her commercial art and English background serve her well.  

When Jamie made the move to 505, she quickly fell in love with the solid hardwoods from India, her favorites being acacia and sheesham.  She is passionate about the antique reclaimed  pieces, the old India bookcases and sideboards that are made from salvaged pieces of architecture.  

When asked about her experiences at 505, she responded that she feels blessed that she loves her job and her employees ,who all bring something different and inspiring to the table.  She is grateful to work for people with good hearts--people who always mean well and who promote a consistent atmosphere ( but one that is not so “corporate.”)  She especially loves that when she wakes up in the morning she never thinks, “Man I wish I didn’t have to work today.”

 

Andre Roche (the Giant) is our extremely tall, extremely strong and extremely capable carpenter at 505.  He works best with his music in the background, (it increases his productivity and helps him to crank out furniture repair, floor moves, and deliveries with lightening speed.)  Andre comes in to work between classes at Souella and instantly makes everything right at 505.  He is very talented in many areas; his art and graphic design studies make him a well-rounded employee, and that sense of creativity is needed so many times when he is called on to problem-solve at 505.  In so many ways, on so many levels, we would be lost without him.

Unloading containers without Andre is just not something we like to experience.  He coordinates the efforts and “makes things happen.”  Once upon a time, he had many friends who helped unload containers, but they typically only showed up once.  We have the heaviest furniture around, and unloading containers from India can be a back-breaking job.  Thankfully, Andre keeps showing up and keeps things running smoothly in the back.

Also, he provides much musical entertainment at our Christmas parties and wins contests with an aggression that is unequaled. 

Suzanne Johnson is a knowledgeable and experienced sales associate at 505. As head merchandiser, Sue sets the bar high for the rest of the staff; she continuously creates visual statements that are stunning and fresh and exciting. Frequent floor moves and constantly evolving settings are a by-product of her work; her ability to create the “wow” factor in each design statement is a tribute to her talents.

Her 13 years of retail experience and her training at a national import store have given her the skills to market the merchandise; her innate creative abilities, her love of furniture with character, and her appreciation for “all things beautiful” have made her a passionate believer in the 505 experience. Suzanne will go to the ends of the earth to find the perfect piece of furniture for her customers, and she is excellent at helping others visualize the possibilities for their environments.

Additionally, Suzanne’s line of jewelry, Lilybrooke Designs, is an amazing, natural extension of her creativity. Her love of nature is reflected in her use of a variety of organic and natural materials, such as wood, bone, horn, pearls, and semi-precious stones. The art of Reinvention is Sue’s other guiding passion, expressed through reclaimed glass, vintage and antique pieces that are incorporated into a wonderful one-of-a-kind design. These original creations of hand-made earrings, necklaces and bracelets can be experienced at 505 Imports and are available for purchase.


Mark Dill (we've promised "no pickle comments") is the new handyman at 505, and he is pretty darn handy.  Going to school to learn how to build/repair guitars has helped Mark with furniture refinishing and repairs, and his former employment with 2 Cajuns and a Truck has equipped him to deliver heavy 505 furniture pieces.   He really enjoys working with the "amazing furniture" that comes into 505, and we are so happy to have him around--especially on container days when 180 pieces of furniture arrive on a 40' high cube.

 Mark is a laid-back, funny, easy-going guy who loves everyone who works at 505; he especially enjoys giving hugs after a particularly hard day at work (thinks the sweaty hug thing is funny...)  He is defined, not only by his quirky personality, but also by his long blond ponytail that hangs down to his waist. (definitely jealous of that long blond hair.)

Away from 505 Mark enjoys spending time with his girlfriend Laci and their beautiful daughter, Haidyn, who was just born on June 27, 2010.   Mark is quite the proud daddy, but he will be happy when he can eventually get a full night's sleep.  One day Mark would like to be the owner of a successful guitar shop, but for now he just loves playing and repairing guitars and working with wood at 505.

 

 Courtney Chance, our newest sales associate, thinks it's Christmas every day at 505!  With a Fashion Merchandising degree from McNeese, Courtney is the loud, energetic, outgoing girl on the sales floor who would "love to help decorate your home."  Well aware of the latest trends and with a fashion forward flair, Courtney is fantastic at merchandising the showroom, but she can't wait to help our customers with new and exciting ideas for their homes.  Call the store,--she's armed (with fabric samples) and ready to decorate!  

Outspoken, funny, downright hilarious, and did we mention LOUD--these are all characteristics that just seem to ooze out of Courtney.   With such a wonderful personality, she has the ability of putting the customers at ease, and if they don't fall down laughing, they might be in a good mood to buy furniture.

 Away from 505, Courtney loves shopping, partying with friends, getting pedicures, re-decorating, and reorganizing rooms.   An avid LSU fan (Geaux Tigers!!!), she may be mysteriously absent from 505 on many of the Saturday nights this fall.  Not to forget her great family, Courtney especially enjoys spending time with her husband, Allen, and her adorable 1-year old boy, Ryder.  Her biggest goal is to be a strong mommy for her children to look up to.  (Guess Ryder will have a brother or sister one of these days.) At least once a week, Courtney can be found "checking out" shelter magazines and design books from Sharlene's home library, so apparently there's more re-decorating in her future as well.

 

Grace Thompson is the bubbly high school senior who is great at "tasking" (tagging,   filing, merchandising, etc.), but we've also added "sales associate" to her list of duties.   Grace works part-time-- between school and her varied activities--but it's great to have her and her big happy smile in the store.   She feels close to everyone at 505, and readily admits that she's learned so much since working here.  "I love coming into work and I'm very enthusiastic about 505," Grace gushes!  (...and she means it!!)

Outgoing, sweet, helpful, cheerful, intelligent--all these words describe Grace to a T. Her interests include shopping, reading, shopping, hanging out with friends, and more shopping.   (Look out, Anthropologie!)

When Grace grows up, she wants to be a hardworking woman, a wife, a mother, and possibly a lawyer (The jury is still out on that.   Her words:   "We'll see how that goes...") But there's no question about one thing in her future.   Grace wants her entire home furnished from 505!   (and yes, we can arrange that)