When a trio of North Carolinians started supplying conference tables to an office furniture manufacturer in the mid 90's, they were determined to keep things simple at their new company.

"We didn't want employees. We didn't want equipment," remembers Randy Woolard, 48, founder and corporate secretary for Thomasville-based Con-Tab Inc. A manufacturer's rep for furniture industry suppliers, Woolard started Con-Tab (short for "conference tables") in 1994. He was joined in 1995 by Rick Motsinger, another furniture-industry suppliers' rep, and Jim Brewer, an employee of Con-Tab's lone customer.