Nu-Idea School Supply Company was founded in 1921 by Roy Tucker, a former school teacher. He began the company by making wooden school desks that sold for less than $3.00 apiece. The company sold thousands of these wooden desks and other complimentary items for classrooms in South Carolina and North Carolina.
Our Facility
In 2017, Nu-Idea moved into an 40,000 square foot facility located on South Guignard Drive in Sumter, SC. This new location is the home of our corporate headquarters and includes an 10,000 square foot showroom with the latest and greatest education, office and church furnishings. Our large warehouse gives us the ability to inventory large volumes of furniture available for quick ship. We deliver product with our own company trucks and our professional in-house installers, set and clean up before we leave.
Our Team
Our varied services, a vast array of product offerings, and an experienced staff have enabled Nu-Idea to take on a roll of unequaled leadership in the K-12 marketplace. We have an attentive staff of experienced leaders and sales personnel to drive every project to a successful completion. We also have software and interior designers on hand to assist with product selection, space planning, and color selection.
Cary Coker
ccoker@nu-idea.com
Office: 800-922-0424 | 803-773-7389
Cary is a lifelong Sumter native where Nu-Idea’s headquarters are located. In 1996, after graduating from Francis Marion University, he began working at Nu-Idea on the operations side of the business learning the installation process.
In 2021, the company will celebrate its 100th year anniversary. At the same time, Cary will have been employed here 25 years. His experience and responsibilities have been wide ranging from operations, to Sales management, to ultimately becoming President and majority owner in 2013. During his tenure, the company has continued its successful track record by adding staff in new positions, added new product lines, made investments in new technology, relocated to a new modern facility, and expanded its presence in other states.
On a personal note, Cary married his wife Natalie in 1998 and they have four daughters. He is a member of First Presbytian Church, where he has served as a Sunday school teacher, a deacon, an elder, and been on numerous committees. He has been involved in the past with the Sertoma Club civic organization and the American Heart Association. Cary currently is on board for the Sumter Chamber of Commerce and is incoming chair.
Mike Sawyer
msawyer@nu-idea.com
Office: 800-922-0424 | 803-773-7389
Mike joined the Nu-Idea team in 2013. Mike oversees the sales managers and works closely with all manufactures the company represents. Mike has over 35 years of experience in the school furniture industry. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1980 with a degree in Business Management.
Shortly after graduation, he started with Nu-Idea as a Sales Representative for South Carolina. After a little over a year in the field, Mike accepted a position with Beckley-Cardy, now School Specialty, as a sales representative for South and North Carolina. After a brief time as a Sales Representative, he was transferred to their corporate office in Ohio. Mike moved back to Columbia, SC, in 1996 as the Director of Furniture and Equipment for the Southeastern United States and International. As Director of Furniture and Equipment, Mike had responsibility for new school construction projects, major renovation and large furniture bids in the states of SC, NC, FL, GA, MS, CA, AL, AR, TN, TX, KY, VA, WV, and MD. He has also been involved in large, new school projects in Bermuda, Guam, Morocco, and Trinidad.
On a personal note, Mike is married to Sharon and has three beautiful children, two daughters and one son. In his free time, Mike enjoys going to the lake, beach and traveling with his family and friends.
Curt Richburg
crichburg@nu-idea.com
Office: 800-922-0424 | 803-773-7389
Curt joined the Nu-Idea team in 1999. His responsibilities as Operations and Church Sales Manager include the management of employees, budget analysis, project management, shipping, receiving and warehousing of inventory, fleet management, scheduling, installation and project management. He is a graduate of USC with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Curt resides in Manning, SC. He is married and blessed with two energetic boys.
Dee Minton
dminton@nu-idea.com
Office: 800-922-0424 | 803-773-7389
Dee joined the Nu-Idea team in 2007. Her job responsibilities are a wide range for the company where she oversees all aspects of customer service, order entry, purchasing, and accounts receivable/payable. She graduated from Central Carolina Technical College in 1983 with her Associate Degree in Administrative Office Technology. Dee was born and resides in Sumter, SC. She and her husband Richard have two children Lauren and Preston.
Julie Coker
jcoker@nu-idea.com
Office: 803-773-7389
Julie joined the Nu-Idea team in March of 2015. She assists all sales reps with Nu-Idea generating 2D layouts, 3D renderings, and coordinating finishes selections. Julie graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a minor in Art History in December of 1990.
She brings with her years of experience in interior design, project management, and a knowledge of construction and commercial development.
Julie was born in England but was raised and is currently residing in Sumter with her husband Robby. They married in 1992 and are blessed with two sons and a daughter-in-law.
Kathie Welch
kwelch@nu-idea.com
Office: 800-922-0424 | 803-773-7389
Kathie joined the Nu Idea team in 2013 following a 32 career at NBSC. Her responsibilities consist of warm and cheerful customer service, answering phones and directing calls to the correct department. She processes new orders, answers questions from vendors on orders and files product failures on any damaged products received. Kathie was born in Greenville, SC and currently lives in Sumter, SC. She is a member of the Seeker’s Sunday School class at Crosswell Baptist Church. When not working she enjoys traveling, going to concerts and spending time with her family and two dogs Bella and Brandi.
Kyndal McDonald
kmcdonald@nu-idea.com
Office: 800-922-0424 | 803-773-7389
Kyndal joined the Nu-Idea team in May 2021. She assists Julie with generating 2D layouts, 3D renderings, and coordinating finish selections for projects and also coordinates marketing material on all social media platforms as well as the Nu-Idea website. Kyndal is a Sumter native and married her husband, Devin McDonald in 2012. They have two children, Ella Rose and Ben, and a goldendoodle, Max. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, shopping, and spending time with family and friends.
Leigh Rapier
lrapier@nu-idea.com
803-773-7389 ext 113
Leigh is the newest member to the Nu Idea design team. She is a native of Sumter and received her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 2005. She took a break from teaching to stay home and raise her kids while running a direct selling jewelry business for nearly 17 years. She has always had a passion for decorating and received her Associates Degree in Interior Design in 2021. She is an active member of Christ Community Church and serves as the head of hospitality on the women’s ministry team. She has been married to her husband Brian since 2003 and enjoys spending time with her 2 kids; Alec, who attends Clemson University, and Avery, an emerging high schooler. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, exercising, spending time with friends, eating, and going to Disney.
Taylor Kinney
tkinney@nuidea.com
Taylor joined the Nu-Idea team in June of 2022 following her move to Sumter. She is originally from Spartanburg and relocated to Sumter after marrying her husband, Andrew. She graduated from Presbyterian College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2017 and was previously a second-grade teacher in Spartanburg School District Six. Her job responsibilities include a range of accounting duties within the office such as managing incoming and outgoing invoices, paying vendors, preparing payroll and processing customer payments.
Natalie Coker
natcoker27@gmail.com
Office: 800-922-0424 | 803-773-7389
Natalie joined the Nu Idea team in 2017, when there was an interest in adding accessories to our business. NI Accessories was developed and puts the finishing touches on our jobs. Adding artwork, lamps rugs or accessories to an office, after the furniture has been installed, makes it easier on our customers. It is a true turn key approach. Natalie uses the color schemes and decor to make the walls and space tie in beautifully with the furniture.
Natalie is a Sumter native and graduated from Sumter High School and Francis Marion University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997. She has always had an interest in design. Natalie enjoys spending time with her husband Cary, and her fulltime job of raising four daughters. She also enjoys traveling, shopping, boating and spending time with friends.
Jason Carver
jcarver@nu-idea.com
Office: 800-922-0424 | 803-773-7389
Jason joined the Nu-Idea team in October of 2013. He has been in the school furniture sales business for over 20 years. Jason started with a national company in sales support, and moved into outside sales in South Carolina over 13 years ago. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys all sports. Jason lives in Lexington County, is married to his wife Jennifer and has twins in college.
Keith Doonan
kdoonan@nu-idea.com
Office: 800-922-0424 | 803-773-7389
Keith joined the Nu-Idea team in January of 2018 as sales manager for the state of Georgia. In addition to his sales responsibilities, he also serves as project manager for all installations and service in his territory. Keith has over 35 years in the furniture industry. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in Business Management. Keith resides in the Columbia, SC area with his wife Carol and enjoys golf, boating, and spending time at the beach.
Thomas White
twhite@nu-idea.com
Office: 800-922-0424
Thomas joined the Nu-Idea team in August of 2016. A native of Sumter, Thomas is working out of our corporate office in Sumter. His sales territory includes Sumter and the eastern portion of South Carolina, as well as all of North Carolina. Thomas graduated from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business in 2013. He and his wife Taylor, who were married in 2018, currently live in Columbia, where they enjoy spending time with family and friends and attending Carolina sporting events.
Nick Carnucci
ncarnucci@nu-idea.com
Nick joined the Nu-Idea team in January of 2022 as an intern, while he was obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science in Retail Management from The University of South Carolina. After graduating in May of 2022, he became a full-time employee and now assists with South Carolina sales and project management. Nick is originally from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina but now lives in Columbia and enjoys spending time supporting his alma mater at Williams Brice Stadium.
Ryan Korey
rkorey@nu-idea.com
623-810-1314
Ryan joined the Nu-Idea team in March of 2022. Ryan moved from Arizona to North Carolina in November of 2021 and has been in the School Furnishing business for over 7 years. Ryan has an undergraduate degree from Northern Arizona University in Advertising and Marketing. Ryan currently resides in Wilmington, NC with his wife Tanya, two kids Elliana and Ryder, and two dogs Jewels and Flapjack. Ryan likes to play golf, go to the beach, and spend time with his family at every opportunity he gets.
Scott Waldruff
swaldruff@nu-idea.com
419-565-2737
Scott has over 22 years of furniture and equipment sales experience. Prior to joining Nu-Idea, Scott was employed at Ritter's Office Outfitters as an Account Manager responsible for sales of furniture and supplies for both business-to-business and K to 12 markets. Scott also spent more than 14 years at School Specialty as Projects by Design Estimator and Operations Supervisor. Responsibilities as an Estimator included pricing, project management, products specifications, creating bid documents, and working with vendors on large projects. As an Operations Supervisor, duties included managing a staff of up to 200 employees to ensure order expectations were met and daily reporting on operational efficiency.
Paul Sanders
psanders@nu-idea.com
Office: 931-252-0059
Paul joined Nu-Idea in 2019 with a lifelong history in the educational market. While attending Western Kentucky University he began his career with Southern School Supply located in Bowling Green, KY. After working in all aspects of the business at the corporate level, Paul moved to outside sales in 1987. During his lengthy career in school furniture sales, he has managed over 200 new schools and major renovation projects. While most of his projects are in Kentucky, he’s also managed major projects in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia and International. Paul and his wife Marlon reside in Smiths Grove, KY. Paul and Marlon have 5 children and are avid Kentucky Wildcat fans. During his downtime Paul enjoys fishing, golfing and playing pickleball.
Joe Gognat
jgognat@nu-idea.com
859-455-6650
Joe joined the Nu-Idea team in 2020 after a long career with Central School Supply and School Specialty, Inc. He has over 45 years of experience working with educators in Kentucky and throughout the United States. Joe works as a Sales/Project Manager helping educators with the selection of furniture and equipment that provides creative solutions for the needs of students.
He graduated from Western Kentucky University with a degree in history and government. He and his wife, Carolyn, have three daughters and recently relocated to Somerset, KY after living in the Nicholasville/Lexington, KY area. He is devoted to his family and enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with his four grandchildren at Lake Cumberland.
Installation
Nu-Idea has its own fleet of trucks with in-house drivers, and a highly trained staff of installation personnel located at our office in Sumter SC. Our installers are trained to efficiently install furniture, with construction management on site, and effectively carry out the wishes of our customers.
It all started with a wooden desk about 100 years ago...
Our History
1921
1930’s
In the early 1930's, the company shifted from manufacturing to distribution and became Nu-Idea School Supply Company, a total outfitter of school furnishings.
1935
Nu-Idea was brought into the church market by school superintendents and principals who worked as pastors on the weekends to make additional income.
1988
In 1988, the company was taken from four families to two families through stock purchases; keeping the company in the family was crucial.
1996
Customers were demanding more services, and Nu-Idea responded by altering its market strategy. The company acts as an extension of the district staff for a large number of its customers. This is done in large part to willingness, along with resources, to take on most any request of its customers.
2005
Cary Coker became a stockholder/owner at Nu-Idea and assumed a new role as VP of Sales.
2013
2013 marked a historical milestone in company history. The untimely and unfortunate passing of longtime employee, pioneer of Nu-Idea's turn-key business model, company President and Owner, Steve Bond, brought about new but exciting change to the organization. Cary Coker became President, and Mike Sawyer rejoined the staff as VP of Sales and also became a stockholder/owner.
The company made large investments in adding sales staff to grow into new territories, hired an interior designer/project manager to support the sales staff, hired additional customer service representatives, and added many new and modern product lines as well as implemented new software to provide 3D HD color renderings for presentations.
2017
Nu-Idea relocates to a newly renovated location at 710 South Guignard Drive in Sumter. The property itself provides ample space to expand the facility for growth. The building is very user friendly and includes more space for inventory, an additional loading dock, and a 6,000 square foot showroom. The spacious showroom is a great resource for customers to visit and see the most modern and cutting edge K-12 school, church, and office furniture that the market has to offer. The new move allows Nu-Idea the ability to provide customers with a higher level of service and a better purchasing experience.
As Nu-Idea approaches its 100 year anniversary, the company is positioned as a market leader in providing its customers with the best turn-key solution for their furniture needs.
2021
2021 marks a century since the company was founded by Mr. Roy Tucker, and that we have been working with schools, churches and offices. To recognize this big milestone, we have modernized our company logo, enhanced our website and refreshed our corporate headquarters main entrance. We are grateful for the relationships and friendships we have and look forward to growing our business in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky markets. We have enjoyed years of success and the “Nu-Idea” story continues with a bright future.
Nu-Idea’s credibility is built on taking care of its customers, from the first meeting to the final walk-through.
Testimonials
In two counties, I’ve had the pleasure to work with the good people of Nu-Idea and in all occasions, they have been very professional and easy with which to work. They are a large and very modern company, but still manage to maintain the small town feel in their interactions with customers. From sales representatives to owners to interior designers to accounting, they meet your needs. Based on my personal experiences with Nu-Idea School Supply Company, I would recommend them to anyone in need of a professional, talented, and caring school supply company. You cannot beat their products!
Paul Webb Director of Planning and Logistics, Bryan County School System, Georgia
Nu-Idea’s commitment to the success of Scotland County Schools is much appreciated. During the entire project of outfitting South Johnson Elementary School with student and staff furniture, the team at Nu-Idea was attentive to completing the project on-time and with attention given to even the smallest detail. The professionalism shown by every member of their team throughout the project did not go unnoticed. In short, it made a huge undertaking much easier! Thank you again for all you did to ensure our district’s new school will be an amazing place to work and learn. We look forward to our continued relationship and future success.
Cory Satterfield Interim Superintendent, Scotland County Schools, North Carolina
I firmly believe in giving credit on a job well done, and Nu-Idea deserves the credit! From my very first meeting with Nu-Idea, I was impressed with the true team approach to meeting the needs of the customer and the open dialogue concerning what our particular needs and wants would be as we thought about opening Van Wyck Elementary. The level of organization and presentation of the products that Nu-Idea was able to provide allowed us to truly build a firm vision of what our daily school environment would look and feel like. I can’t stress enough the customer first mentality that is evident in all of our interactions. I would highly recommend Nu-Idea to anyone, and I truly cherish the professional relationships that were formed through this process. Thank you for helping us “Take AIM at Greatness” at VWES!
Steven Puckett Principal, Van Wyck Elementary School Lancaster County School District, South Carolina