Ozarks Profile: Tiffany Wilgus

Tell us about your companies.

Patterson's Manufacturers Agents is a company that represents manufacturers that cater to the hospitality, health care and commercial industry. We have been in business for over 23 years. We cover Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and southern Illinois. We work with owners, designers, management companies and architectural firms in order to get our products specified for use in a hotel, restaurant, office or health care setting. Patterson's also provides club-level seating at stadiums and arenas. We decided to expand our business and provide unique furnishings and accessories at affordable prices, so we opened Distinctive Dcor. This is a retail store and a place where designers can go to find that distinctive piece of furniture to fit their tastes and budgets.

Specifically, what do you do?

My husband, Dane, and I own and operate both companies. In regard to Patterson's Manufacturers Agents, I am a sales representative and he does the accounting. Dane runs Distinctive Dcor on a daily basis. I assist with the purchasing and customer service.

How did you arrive in this position?

I started working for Patterson's Manufacturers Agents when I was 21. It was then owned by Dick Patterson. I worked for Dick for several years; he decided to retire and allowed us the opportunity to take over the reins. We purchased the company from him approximately four years ago.

What challenges do you deal with in your work?

The most challenging aspect as a small-business owner is the fact that I am very controlling. I want to be involved in all aspects of any decision making. This can be very hard on my employees as I travel a lot and some decisions need to be made very quickly. Another challenge, on the commercial side, is the fact that you cannot always control how quickly an order can be delivered. There are so many variables that we work with, and when a deadline must be reached it is very frustrating when a product does not always arrive on time.

Tell us about your family.

We have three children Tricia, 10; Addyson 4; and Claire, 2. We live in Strafford. Tricia attends Greenwood Laboratory School and is on the team at Springfield Gymnastics Center and rides horses. Addyson and Claire both share a love of music.

What are your spare-time pursuits?

There is not a lot of spare time with three children and two businesses. However, I am involved with the Junior League of Springfield. This has probably been one of the most rewarding pursuits as there is truly a commitment to the community among the women within the organization.