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James (Jay) Milton Howard, Jr., I.O. Metro Furniture Company — 2008 Furniture/Today Leadership Conference

Speaker profile — owner and CEO

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, December 5, 2008

Jay Howard

James (Jay) Milton Howard, Jr., owner and CEO of I.O. Metro Furniture Company, grew up in Helena, Arkansas. He earned his bachelors degree in Business Finance from Westminster College in 2003. Howard currently resides in Rogers, Arkansas with his wife, Christine McCaul Howard, also a 2003 Westminster graduate.

Howard began his career working in Jonesboro, Arkansas as National Sales Manager for J Hunt Lighting Company. There he was responsible for product development, importing and account management for the Target Corporation account. In 2004, Lebanon Seaboard Corporation recruited Howard to Rogers, Arkansas where he served as National Account Manager for Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Corporation. Through innovative sourcing and packaging, Howard revitalized sales taking it from a 1.8 million to a 5.2 million dollar account in just over a year. Missing international business and travel, he and his partners Bill and Helen Benton opened the first of eleven import furniture stores in 2005.

I.O. Metro retail locations are currently in Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Jonesboro, and Little Rock, Arkansas; Kansas City, KS, Columbia, MO, Tulsa, OK, Oklahoma City, OK, Memphis, TN, and Jackson, MS. Global suppliers for the furniture stores include factories in 14 countries, with the largest being India, China, Indonesia and Mexico. Since 2005, I.O. Metro has increased sales by almost 600%. Howard was chosen for Northwest Arkansas Business Journal's 40 Under 40 in 2007 and Arkansas Business Journal's 40 Under 40 in 2008.

Howard and I.O. METRO are the proud sponsors of the charter "Young Leaders Society" for the United Way of Northwest Arkansas. Additionally, Howard and I.O. METRO are supporters of various humanitarian efforts in the developing countries in which they do business.

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