Fort Worth, Texas-Based Furniture Retailer Makes Strides with Top Job Vacant.

By Heather Landy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

May 23--FORT WORTH, Texas--When the Bombay Company fired its chief executive officer nine months ago without naming a replacement, the furniture retailer may have unwittingly happened upon its best idea in years.

Steered by a committee made up of merchandising, marketing, financial and operations executives, the once-moribund company is back on a growth track, boosting sales and embarking on an expansion route that will move it away from traditional shopping malls.

Executives now meet twice a week to lay out strategy for the Fort Worth-based chain. Disputes are arbitrated by retail industry veteran James Carreker, who was hired in December to be the company's nonexecutive chairman. Most decisions are made by consensus, though, a byproduct of the new management style.

"There was a lot of energy when the board gave us the opportunity to take …