IHFRA To Honor Michael Amini In HIgh Point

Furniture World Magazine

The International Home Furnishings Representatives Association will honor Michael Amini of AICO with their Pillar of the Industry Award at the 13th annual Furniture Industry Awards Gala. The Pillar of the Industry Award is presented to an industry leader who has distinguished himself with creative work and effort to improve, enhance and benefit relationships among representatives and other segments of the industry. This person’s actions and deeds have shown their commitment to the home furnishings industry, their community and to mankind. Michael Amini left home early to travel and learn about new places, ideas, cultures, art and architecture. He came to the United States to pursue a better education and graduated from college in Southern California with a degree in electrical engineering. Anxious for success, Michael held various sales jobs before finally venturing into business for himself. He became a sales representative for a furniture company and then decided to fulfill his dream to start his own company, Amini Innovation Corporation (AICO). AICO is much different today from the 220 square feet of warehouse space where the company began in 1988. Michael’s perseverance, vision, innovation and design creativity has turned AICO into one of the leading furniture importers. Today AICO has a 400,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in Pico Rivera, California with 86 shipping and receiving docks, hundreds of employees in the US and over 20,000 employees in Asia. Three exclusive factories in China, a new upholstery factory and a mega-warehouse for mixing and quick shipping from China has made AICO one of the world’s leading suppliers of dramatic and creative furniture designs. Pillar of the Industry will be added to Michael’s growing list of furniture industry awards. In 2004 Michael Amini was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by City of Hope. Aside from being an extraordinary businessman, Michael believes in giving back his good fortune. This year the City of Hope will break ground on the Michael Amini Transfusion Medicine Center. Additionally Michael was presented with the Furniture Supplier of the Year Award at the 2005 Furniture Today Leadership Conference. Recent winners of Pillar of the Industry award include: Mike & George Massood, Robert Sligh Jr, Jack Walts, Arthur Defehr, Donald Belgrad, Ron Wanek, David Breener, William Boothe, Jerry Epperson and Joe Carroll. The Furniture Industry Awards Gala will be held on Tuesday, March 27 in the IHFC Ballroom on the 11th floor of the Green Wing. IHFRA and NHFA are sponsors. Tickets are $75/person, or a table of eight for $70/person. For reservations contact IHFRA at (336) 889-3920.