Alan Rosenberg dies at 54
By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, November 23, 2003
Woodbury, N.Y. — Retailer Alan Rosenberg, who led Seaman Furniture out of bankruptcy in the early 1990s and onto a growth track, then tackled a similar task at struggling Levitz, has died after a short illness. He was 54.
Rosenberg was chief executive officer of Levitz Home Furnishings Inc., parent of 76-store Levitz and 53-store Seaman's.
He got his start in his early 20s as an assistant buyer under Morty Seaman, then leader of Seaman's.
"The passing of Alan Rosenberg is the worst shock I have had in the last 25 years," said Seaman, now a partner in Rooms To Go. "He was as fine a young man as anyone in our industry — honest, devoted, decent, family oriented ... just a sweet guy. Our entire family as well as our employees are so, so sad."
Jay Carothers, LHFI chief operating officer and now acting CEO, called Rosenberg "one of the most ethical guys that I've ever met." Carothers worked with him for less than a year, but, "For the industry, he was one of the old-timers, a real professional. He shepherded Seaman's from a good- sized regional player to a really dominant regional player."
In a memo to employees and the industry, Carothers said, "Alan's tremendous accomplishments during his 32-year career at Seaman's ... included leading the turnaround and significant growth of Seaman's in the last decade, making Seaman's into the market leader in the Northeast and its successful combination with Levitz into LHFI in 2001."
In 1992, when it emerged from bankruptcy, Seaman's was a 22-store chain doing almost $170 million in furniture, bedding and accessory sales. Eight years later, it had 55 stores, including Seaman's Kids specialty stores, and sales of about $368 million.
Levitz Home Furnishings is No. 4 on Furniture/Today's survey of Top 100 U.S. furniture stores, with estimated furniture, bedding and accessories sales last year of $965 million.
"Alan was an exceptional merchant but a greater person," said Howard Slavin, president and CEO of Wheeling, Ill.-based Wickes Furniture, who went to high school with Rosenberg and remained friends ever since. "His success never went to his head."
Norman Waxman, executive vice president of manufacturer Schnadig, called Rosenberg's passing a "sad day for the industry." He said Rosenberg's employees were fiercely loyal to him, and that his credibility "was one of the critical anchors that saw (Levitz) through" a difficult period.
In a 25th anniversary edition two years ago, Furniture/Today saluted Rosenberg. "He took a slimmed-down Woodbury, N.Y.-based Seaman's out of bankruptcy, back into the black and then on an expansion program that started out slow, then built steam," the newspaper said.
He was given the challenge of doing it again when Levitz emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2001 and merged with Seaman's under common ownership.
"I think he accomplished a tremendous amount — and a lot of it under the most adverse circumstances," said Irwin Novack, CEO of Pinellas Park, Fla.-based Kane's.
In 1993, Rosenberg received the Jerry Gans Memorial Award from the Greater New York Home Furnishings Assn. recognizing his service to the industry. In 1995, he and Waxman were honored by the Anti-Defamation League at an event that drew more than 600 people and raised more than $550,000 for the organization.
Rosenberg also was recognized for his community service.
GNYHFA has donated $5,000 to the American Cancer Society in his honor. The retail association also will give in his name a portion of the proceeds from its annual dinner dance to Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang charity.
Rosenberg's survivors include his wife, Helene; son Andrew Rosenberg, who works for Sangiorgio; daughter Stacey Goldstein; and son-in-law David Goldstein, art director for LHFI.
Donations may be made to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
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