Leaders’ George Liberman to Receive SF Mart Gold Pass

Furniture World Magazine

The San Francisco Mart announced that George Liberman of Leaders Central del Hogar in El Monte, California, will be the recipient of the Mart’s Gold Pass award for Winter Market 2005. Liberman will be honored at a ceremony at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, January 27 during the Western Home Furnishings Association’s Member Appreciation Party in the WHFA Resource Center, suite 705, Mart 2. Dealers from across the West will enjoy a fiesta with margaritas and other exotic concoctions, zesty Mexican delicacies, a strolling mariachi band and great Latin entertainment. George Liberman immigrated to the United States from Chile in 1977. He worked for a few months at a furniture store and then decided to open his own store, largely because his parents needed a place to work, too. The result was George and Esther Liberman’s first furniture store, Casa Real, which was located in East Los Angeles. In 1980, they opened a second store in El Monte, and after a year, closed the East Los Angeles store. George concentrated all his efforts on the El Monte store, developing the biggest selection of furniture in the San Gabriel Valley. In the early days, George and Esther traveled around the globe to find the nicest quality furniture, but he admits that most of his work was done at Market. In 1993, the company was incorporated into George Liberman Enterprises, doing business as Leaders Centro del Hogar, and became one of the largest importers of furniture from Italy and Asia. George has attended markets at the San Francisco Mart from the beginning. “The Mart has been very important to our growth by featuring companies doing business on the West Coast,” says Liberman. “It’s important to go to shows to be in front of new fabrics and styles, and also to build relationships with sales managers and owners.” Leaders has become a top seller furniture store in the Hispanic Community. Responding to the needs of their customers, they opened Leaders Travel Agency in 1998. Leaders also sells an extensive variety of electronics and appliances. With an excellent professional staff, Leaders prides itself in extending the best customer service to every customer. George says that the stores have been built from a partnership of work with his wife, Esther. They have three children and are involved with the schools and the Jewish community, and enjoy spending time with friends and on their boat. The Mart’s Gold Pass is awarded to select Western retailers who have distinguished themselves by their industry participation, the caliber of their retail stores and their ongoing support of the SF Mart.