IHFRA to honor Hollingsworth, O'Connor
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 9, 2009
HIGH POINT — Longtime sales representative Terry Hollingsworth and Samson Marketing President and CEO Kevin O'Connor will receive top awards in April from the International Home Furnishings Representatives Assn.
Hollingsworth, a former IHFRA president, will receive the organization's highest honor, the Harold P. Braun Distinguished Service Award.
O'Connor, who has worked in furniture sales and manufacturing for 40 years, will be named a Pillar of the Industry.
They will be honored at the Furniture Industry Awards Gala here, sponsored by IHFRA and the National Home Furnishings Assn., on Monday, April 27, during the spring High Point Market. Information and reservations are available by contacting IHFRA at (336) 889-3920 or ihfra@ihfra.org.
Hollingsworth, a former Army captain and Airborne Ranger, entered the furniture industry when he joined his father-in-law at E.B. Malone Co., a mattress manufacturer and Spring Air licensee for Florida.
He has worked in sales management for 15 years and as a sales rep for 29 years, and has been associated with companies including Park Place, Richardson Bros. and Ashley Millennium.
He is now with Phil Sweet Associates and represents Barcalounger, Jacob Edwards Design and Agio.
Hollingsworth has been active in IHFRA since 1965 and was elected as the association's national president in 2004. He remains active in the group's Georgia chapter and also is a board member of the Georgia Home Furnishings Dealers Assn.
O'Connor joined the industry in 1969 after college and military service, starting as a sales rep for Baumritter Corp., which is now Ethan Allen. He ultimately became director of product development for Ethan Allen before leaving in 1981.
Later, he held executive posts at Singer Furniture, Burlington Furniture and Lea Inds., and was president of importers Hyundai Furniture and then Master Design.
While at Master Design in 1996, he began working with Samuel and Grace Kuo on a start-up factory in China called Lacquer Craft Mfg. The business relationship grew and O'Connor partnered with the Kuos to start U.S. importer Legacy Classic, which was a pioneer in direct container marketing.
He now heads Samson Marketing, the holding company of Lacquer Craft's U.S. marketing arms Legacy Classic and Universal Furniture.
