Entrepreneur flying high in San Ramon

October 8, 2009

"The Internet is coming. The Internet is coming." Those were the words Jim Sexton heard from his friends in 1995, but he didn't understand what they meant.

His friends told him everyone will be buying modems for their phones and computers for their homes.

Sexton thought, "If everyone has one, where would they put it?" From that germ of an idea came Z-Line Designs, the largest selling line of ready-to-assemble home office and entertainment furniture in the country.

To keep costs down, Sexton decided to manufacture his furniture designs in China. He put an ad in the paper for a part-time employee who spoke Chinese. Sexton's prediction was right on the money and his two-person start-up has grown to 250 employees in the USA and another 240 in China.

When the number of employees in his home in Blackhawk grew to seven, his wife said they had to find offices somewhere else. Sexton leased a small office on San Ramon Valley Boulevard in San Ramon. As his company grew, he increased his office space, until now Z-Line Designs Headquarters occupy the whole upper floor of 2410 San Ramon Valley Blvd.

When asked why he kept his headquarters in San Ramon, Sexton replied that it is easy to find smart, qualified employees here. No one has quit his company in 13 years.

San Ramon is in the corridor from Silicon Valley to Walnut Creek and San Francisco, he noted, and he said he considers this area a great location for a business and to raise a family.

Z-Line Designs furniture has won 32 design awards and is sold in stores all over the country, yet most people still don't recognize the name. Sexton says there are people who don't even know they own Z-Line Designs furniture.

Branding is why Z-Line Designs is now sponsoring racing cars. In 2005, Sexton ventured into auto racing, and now Z-Line Designs sponsors NASCAR No. 18 Toyota on the Joe Gibbs Racing team and Indy car No. 18 on the Dale Coyne Racing team. Kyle Busch, the driver for No. 18 Toyota, will be racing in Fontana on Oct. 10.

When Sexton isn't at the track or at one of his award-winning desks, he can be found flying high in one of his airplanes. As the owner of three private jets, he has always been involved in aviation and even designed and built his own plane.

Z-Line Designs is involved in several charitable organizations, including Racing for Kids and Operation Helmet, an organization that provides U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with helmet upgrade kits.

Despite the downturn in the economy, Z-Line Designs is having its best year yet, which just goes to prove that when a good idea takes off nothing will keep it from flying high.

Category: Company News | Tags: jim-sexton, internet, furniture