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Dave Parmacek
Manager

Mickey Simon
Manager

Hey, I’m Mickey Simon and I’m Manager at the Wilmette The Great Escape. I am in my 16th year at The Great Escape and I’ve got a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida. My product specialty is casual furniture. I’ve been in the patio furniture business for over 40 years!

I love the products I sell because what we sell are things people enjoy. With that in mind, I get to sell and have a little fun doing it. If I don’t have a good laugh or two with a customer at some point in the process, I don’t feel like I’m going down the right path. The best part of my job is meeting different people every day and helping them find exactly what they want or need for their situation.

When they come back and tell me how well the party went or how happy they are with everything they’ve bought over the years, that is satisfying. Most of the customers around this store are professionals and between work and children’s schedules, they don’t have a ton of time. I try to listen more than I talk, so I don’t waste a lot of time. But I also try to have a little fun. Whether it’s a funny comment or showing people how they can have fun with colors on their furniture, they pick up on my passion and seem to appreciate it.

There’s not a lot of free time around here, especially during our busy season, but I do enjoy running outside and hiking in Arizona.