Furniture of America Pledges $250,000 for Hall of Fame Capital Campaign

Furniture World News Desk on 7/27/2021

Furniture of America (FOA) has pledged $250,000 to the Building Fund of the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame in honor of the FOA Family and a beloved member, Mike Genrich who recently passed away. The full line resource of furniture and lifestyle products, based in City of Industry, Cal., will name the Leaders Bar. 

“The home furnishings industry as a whole is responsible for creating long-lasting memories within our most sacred of places, our homes.  Dining tables are used to share our thoughts with one another, we use sofas to relax in comfort with those we love, and we look forward to getting into our beds at the end of each day,” says Rocky Young, senior executive vice president – Furniture of America.  “We create memories with every piece of furniture in our homes.  We are honored to support this project because the Hall of Fame will allow visitors to pay respect to the pioneers of such a meaningful industry.

“We also hope that this new home for the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame helps us maintain the value of human connection, which is often lost in today’s fast-paced and distanced environment,” he says. “As we gradually return to socializing, may this space serve as a hub for continued meaningful conversations about the industry that we all love.”

Furniture of America has chosen to name the Leaders Bar, which will be located adjacent to the Celebration Hall, a gathering space for 150 for a seated dinner or 450 for cocktails.  It is supported by a catering kitchen to offer a light breakfast and lunch, a cup of coffee during the day or cocktails in the afternoon and evening.

“Although this is not our only recent charitable act, this one is close to our hearts,” Young says.  “This year, we lost a very special member of the Furniture of America family, Mike Genrich.  Known in the industry as Big Mike, among his many responsibilities, he was an ambassador for our company. His greatest passion was networking with other members of the furniture industry. In his memory, we are absolutely honored to be part of creating a space dedicated to communication. To us, this gift represents the level of respect that Mike commanded within our family.”

Capital campaign donors include: The Wanek family and Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc.; Surya; Bill and Carolyn Hinks, Furniture Mart USA; Surya; Furniture of America; International Market Centers; Lacquer Craft USA; Manwah Holdings; Neil and Robin Goldberg, Raymour & Flanigan Furniture; Rooms to Go; Karen McNeill and Stephen Pond; The Broyhill Family Foundation; Bill and Candy Fenn; Roger and Martha Bland; Michael Amini , AICO; Keith Koenig, City Furniture; Chad Spencer, Dufresne Spencer Group; Hooker Furnishings Corporation; Amini Audi, L. & J.G. Stickley; Bill and Julia Wittenberg; Schwarz Properties; Jake Jabs, American Furniture Warehouse; Bernhardt Furniture Company; Hassell Franklin, Franklin Corporation; Patrick Cory, Joseph Cory Holdings, LLC; Markor International Furniture; Nebraska Furniture Mart; Nourison Industries; Palecek; The BB&T Foundation; the DRIVE Foundation; The Furniture Foundation; Mickey Holliman, Five Star; David Gebhart and Frederick Raynor, Global Views; Havertys Furniture Companies; Skipper Holliman, Jr., HomeStretch; Amir Loloi, Loloi Rugs; Martin and Mary Ann Ploy; Phillips Collection; Prestige Arts/Art Trends; Jeff Child, R.C. Willey Home Furnishings; John Bray, Vanguard Furniture Company, Inc.; Lawrence Rogers; Lyle Harris, Behold Home; J. Don Coleman, Coleman Consulting LLC; Bruce and Kena Cohenour; Andrew Bernstein, FurnitureDealer.Net; Bill and Sue Kimbrell; Norwalk Furniture; Jim Sneed, Affordable Furniture; Bobby Bush; Randy Coconis, Coconis Furniture; Russell Bienenstock, Furniture World; Julius M. Feinblum Real Estate, Inc.; The Ina Mae Kaplan Historic Preservation Fund; Don Belgrad; Jerry Epperson; Gill Brother’s Furniture; Infinger Furniture; Michael Alan Furnishings; New Atlantic Construction; Slone Bother’s Furniture; Will Somers; Stegar’s Furniture; Suburban Furniture; and Imogene Zimmerman.

About Furniture of America

Furniture of America is dedicated to the role home furnishing plays in people’s most important moments in life. With its wide collection of bedroom, dining, upholstery, and accent pieces, its goal is to provide products for every room in any home with each and every milestone. With a total of over 2 million sq. ft. of warehouse space, Furniture of America serves over 10,000 local and online home furnishing businesses in the United States. From the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest, partnerships with domestic factories help the company to continually expand its US-made product offerings. As a global brand, its sourcing and manufacturing operations in Asia allow FOA to build international partnerships with direct order shipments to Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. Furniture of America is headquartered in City of Industry, California and operates in six distribution centers across the nation with a dedicated e-commerce division. To learn more, visit www.foagroup.com.

About The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc.

The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc., is an industry-wide organization founded to preserve its history, to celebrate exceptional individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the U.S. home furnishings industry, and to inspire a new class of innovation and leadership. Membership includes eligibility to nominate candidates for consideration by the Selection Committee, and the opportunity to help preserve the history and heritage of the industry. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, funds support our history and leadership programming. The organization currently is based in High Point, North Carolina, at 202 Neal Place, Suite 101, and can be reached at 336.882.5900. Watch for ongoing developments and details about the grand opening of a new permanent home, which is targeted for 2023.