SHFA announced that Bernis Martin, vice president of Kimbrell’s Furniture Distributors, Inc., Charlotte, N.C., is the newest recipient of Southern Home Furnishings Assn.’s highest honor, the Willis Award of Merit.
"Bernis has served our company now continuously for over 40 years starting part-time in Kimbrell’s delivery department in Fayetteville, N.C.," says Hank Johnson, Kimbrell’s president. "He exhibited a strong work ethic, the ability to lead by example and the intelligence to progress through all phases of our retail operation. We at Kimbrell’s are proud to have Bernis as this year’s Willis Award recipient."
The Willis Award of Merit was created in 1954 by the Willis Family of Willis Furniture Co., Virginia Beach, Va., as a memorial to John Willis, Jr. and his son, Benjamin J. Willis, Sr. The annual award honors an outstanding home furnishings retailer in the SHFA area who, in the opinion of the Willis Award Committee, contributes most unselfishly to the community, industry, and God.
The award will be presented to Martin this summer at a celebration in his hometown of Belmont, N.C. He will also receive recognition at this year’s SHFA Conference June 13-15 in Charleston, S.C.
For more information contact SHFA’s Nicole Filippo at (800) 888-9590 or nfilippo@nhfa.org.
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Kimbrell’s Furniture Distributors, Inc. began operations in 1915 and has grown to include 55 stores in 44 cities. It is the largest and one of the oldest furniture chains based in the Carolinas.
Southern Home Furnishings Association (SHFA) is a regional affiliate of the National Home Furnishings Association. SHFA serves furniture retailers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA) is the nation’s largest organization devoted specifically to the needs and interests of home furnishings retailers.