Phillip Jeffries, the family-owned wallcovering business founded 50 years ago by Alfred University alumnus and Board of Trustees member Eric Bershad ’69, was featured on a recent episode of CBS Saturday Morning.
CBS host Meg Oliver interviewed Eric Bershad’s two sons, Philip and Jeffrey, for the piece, titled “The family owned business turning walls into works of art,” which originally aired August 8. Phillip Jeffries was started by Eric Bershad and his wife, Susan, in 1976 in the garage at their home in New Jersey. They named the business, which today is based in Fairfield, NJ, after their sons.
Philip and Jeffrey Bershad, who joined the company in the early 2000s and serve as president and CEO, respectively, talked with Oliver about how the family business has grown since it began focusing solely on manufacturing and selling custom wallcovering. They discussed how technological advances, such as digital printing, has spurred a comeback in the wallcovering industry, and how their business took off during the COVID pandemic, when people were spending more time in their homes.
The Bershad family, from left: brothers Philip Bershad and Jeffrey Bershad, their mother, Susan Bershad, and father, Eric Bershad ’69. Eric, an Alfred University trustee, and Susan founded custom wallcovering maker Phillip Jeffries 50 years ago. Today, Eric serves as chairman, while Philip and Jeffrey are president and CEO, respectively.
Today, Phillip Jeffries stocks about one million yards of material at its New Jersey warehouse and operates multiple showrooms in the United States and abroad. The company’s custom wallcovering can be found in the world’s leading fashion houses, luxury hotels, corporate headquarters, and private and celebrity residences, with clients including Cartier, Dior, and Four Seasons.
Eric Bershad, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Alfred University in 1969, serves as chairman of Phillip Jeffries. He has been a member of the Alfred University Board of Trustees since 2015.
