Our Story

Snow Devil was formed in 1983, with a mission to provide hand crafted upholstered furniture with the premium on customer interaction and service. It’s three founding principals, all industry veterans, each brought their own specific talents to the company. Ray Zoref, with a background in sales, a Bachelor of Business Administration from Hofstra University and a degree from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, concentrated on the styling and sales of the Burton James line. Marlo Goldsbey brought decades of sales experience to the company and Larry Alles brought his financial and operations expertise.

By 2001, Mr. Zoref was Burton James’s sole owner. As President and CEO he brought in Harry Robbins as CFO, Mark Landres as Director of Marketing and Design and promoted Ralph Hipsman to Director of Customer Relations. Mr. Landres’ talent as a furniture designer has made Burton James an attractive outlet for such fabric designers as Glen Read and Mary Paul Yates. Mr. Hipsman’s longstanding vendor relationships have ensured that orders are shipped in a time frame that meets the needs of each client.

The company’s commitment to quality product and superior service has stayed true to its founding mission. 30 years later, Burton James has one of the most loyal customer bases in the industry.