Edmond, Okla.—Industry veteran John Feizy, who founded Feizy Rugs over 50 years ago, has passed away. Feizy is survived by his wife Janice and their children, Leah and Cameron, who remain active in Feizy Rugs.
“Feizy Rugs was never just a company—it is a family,” said Cameron Feizy, CEO. “My father spoke often of how deeply he cared for everyone involved in Feizy Rugs, and how grateful he was for their commitment and hard work. His wish was for all of us to persevere together through this difficult time.”
Feizy was born in Iran in 1942 and emigrated to the U.S. in 1963. He attended Central State University—now coined the University of Central Oklahoma—here, where he worked multiple jobs to pay his tuition before he officially earned a business degree. It was during this time that he met his wife Janice, whom he married in 1968.
Feizy founded Feizy Rugs in 1973—soon after the couple moved to Dallas, Texas. Following a family tradition of buying, selling and collecting oriental rugs that spanned four generations, what began as a small retail rug store carrying only fine and hand-knotted rugs became a leading wholesale supplier—featuring both handmade and machine-made rugs with showrooms in Dallas, High Point and Las Vegas.
“[John] was more than the visionary behind Feizy Rugs—he was a father figure to so many of us,” said Michael Riley, president. “His wisdom, warmth and boundless dedication shaped the culture of our company and the lives of everyone who had the privilege to work alongside him.”
From the company’s earliest days, Feizy traveled to the weaving capitals of the world where he personally selected his inventory, eventually leading to a loyal clientele of interior designers. With the flagship showroom in the Dallas World Trade Center, Feizy began to deal exclusively with trade. Recognizing the demand for unique programmed rugs, he expanded his operations to include rug designers in Dallas as well as overseas.
In 2000, Feizy opened a factory in Gaziantep, Turkey. Today, Feizy Rugs remains the only American company to wholly own its own factory, Covtex-Feizy.
“At this time, we ask our friends and colleagues to take a moment to reflect on Feizy’s incredible accomplishments and know that to him, his absolute greatest accomplishment other than his family was being able to support so many other families both here and abroad, something he believed to be the single most important function of the company,” Riley said. “He supported thousands of businesses and families in India, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Romania and China during his tenure—he was extremely proud of that and had a heartfelt responsibility to take care of his factories and their people.”