NHFA announced that Jeff Child, RC Willey Home Furnishings, Salt Lake City, Utah, takes office January 1 as 2010 president of National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA), the nation’s largest trade organization for home furnishings retailers. He succeeds Michael B. Spiller, Spiller Furniture, Tuscaloosa, Ala. who becomes chairman of the executive committee. The outgoing president becomes chairman in the following year.
Other officers are: Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Dianne Ray, Garden City Furniture, Garden City Beach, S.C.; Senior Vice President, Marc Schewel, Schewel Furniture, Lynchburg, Va.; and Senior Vice President, Cherie Rose, the Rose Collection, Los Gatos, Calif.
New directors are: Brian D. Casey, High Point Market Authority, High Point, N. C.; Robert J. Maricich, World Market Center, Las Vegas, Nev.; Thomas H. Olinde, Olinde’s Furniture, Baton Rouge, La.; Sherry Sheely, Sheely’s Furniture & Appliance, Inc., North Lima, Ohio; and John C. Stewart, Jr., Big Sandy Super Store, Franklin Furnace, Ohio. These individuals join a group of retailers who are already serving as directors.
Child is a long time association member and leader of both NHFA and its West Coast affiliate, Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA). Jeff, son of Sheldon, helped his father and uncle, Bill Child, with the family business working in the warehouse and later in merchandise display and the carpet department. After graduating from Brigham Young University, he worked as a sales associate and buyer, eventually becoming president. As one of the top home furnishings retailers in the country, RC Willey attracted the attention of Warren Buffet, and in 1995, the company and Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., announced a merger agreement. In 2004 Child was selected NHFA’s Retailer of the Year in the over $10 million category for his service to the industry, service to his community and creative leadership in his company. As president of NHFA, Jeff wants to strengthen the association’s mission to help retailers find ways to profitability and to provide the services which make that possible. One of these ways is HomeFurnishings.com, developed by the association to drive business to member retailers.
NHFA is an almost ninety-year-old trade organization serving home furnishings retailers in all 50 states, Canada and abroad. NHFA’s stated mission is “to provide our members with the information, education, products and services they need to remain successful.”