Brett Hatton

He started his company in 1991 in England after being inspired by a personal trip he took retracing the ancient silk route from China to Europe. He relocated to Four Hands’ current world headquarters in Austin, Texas, in 1996. He refocused his original business of importing antiques to wholesaling his own designs. He pioneered the high-end furniture industry in India and was an early entrant in sourcing furniture from China. He established a permanent overseas office in Ningbo in 2003, staffed a quality assurance team, and purchased a factory.

Four Hands operates three wholesale showrooms in U.S., in Austin, Atlanta, and High Point, North Carolina. Recognized as early trend spotter, Hatton launched his fourth showroom at a premium location within the World Market Center in Las Vegas this January. The World Market Center has been called the industry hub of the future.

Hatton is recognized for both his style and business acumen and is regularly quoted on the hottest trend in furniture, the lifestyle segment. This is a $3 billion industry that is growing at 20 percent annually vs. 2 percent for the furniture category. Four Hands is a two-time winner and current nominee of the ARTS Award, a premier industry design competition; a three-time honoree on the Inc. 500 list; a four-time honoree on Inc.’s ICIC for growth companies in inner cities; and a regional winner of Ernst & Young’s 2006 Entrepreneur of the Year. In addition, Four Hands has established Learn to Live, a nonprofit organization that builds schools for young women in Asia.