I first met Larry Oliver eight years ago when I was editor-in-chief of HomeWorld Business, and he came to my Long Island office to discuss the possibility of joining the team as an advertising sales manager.
There was added pressure to get the hire right after a couple of unsuccessful previous attempts to fill the rather large shoes of industry ad sales executive Andy Lucchesi after his retirement from HomeWorld. It didn’t take long for me to realize in that first meeting that Larry, after a long and successful publishing career built largely on B2B media for the television business, was right for the position. HomeWorld Business co-founders Dave Palcek and Cyndi Evans agreed, and Larry joined HomeWorld and its sister publication, Gourmet Insider, soon thereafter.
That began what would become a highly successful run before Larry announced his “retirement” in 2018 (yes, the quote marks are necessary). Larry’s connection to the housewares business had grown strong, and he agreed to stay on in a modified capacity. That decision proved very helpful as HomeWorld Business and Gourmet Insider were plunged unexpectedly into a pandemic in 2020 that made serving the industry with a knowledgeable, veteran team even more paramount.
When HomeWorld Business and Gourmet Insider closed in early 2021, Larry still wasn’t quite ready to walk away from the housewares business. After I joined the International Housewares Association in March 2021 with the goal of creating an industry news platform that would launch in July as HomePage News, I learned Larry had already reached out to IHA to express interest in helping the association in any way he could. When it became time to build an ad sales strategy for HomePage News, my first call, of course, was to Larry.
A year later, as Larry hits a reset on his retirement plans, there is no doubt he was the right person to bring knowledge, experience, diligence and a familiar voice to the successful launch of HomePage News. Larry has been described by many on the other end of his sales calls as respectfully persistent, and he wears that designation proudly. His attention to detail, positive outlook, thirst for information, collaborative spirit and creativity have inspired me and countless co-workers and industry colleagues.
Larry Oliver leaves some pretty big shoes of his own to fill. He will always have a strong connection to the housewares business. On behalf of that business, thanks, Larry.
