Buyers from 8 states shop Minneapolis market
Fran Marshall -- Furniture Today, March 2, 2003
Minneapolis — Buyers from eight states turned out for the Minneapolis Winter Home Furnishings Market, which ran Jan. 31 through Feb. 3, show organizers said.
The show saw retailers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
"We had a great market, one of the best we've had in years," said Jim Emerson of exhibitor Mastercraft Furniture. "We saw about the same amount of traffic as last year, but we had a number of different people come into our showroom that had not bought from us before."
During the market, the North Central Home Furnishings Representatives Assn. presented its 2002 awards. Furniture & Things, Elk River and Coon Rapids, Minn., was named Dealer of the Year. Wayne Stawarski of Fifth Avenue Furniture, Brainerd, Minn., was Buyer of the Year; and Wade Rolf, Yetzers, Waconia, Minn., was Retailer of the Year.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Milt Jacobson, who was president of the North Central HFRA in 1970 and also served as president of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Assn. in 1980.
He is a rep for Oakwood Interiors, Blackhawk Furniture and Wall Beds in Minnesota, the Dakotas and western Wisconsin.
Jacobson was part of a group that successfully campaigned to have sales reps included in the American Furniture Hall of Fame. The effort led to Harold Braun's induction as the first rep in the AFHF, and the creation of IHFRA's annual Harold Braun Award for outstanding sales representatives.
In a drawing sponsored by Mapleton Furniture and Newport Gliders, Jack Fietsch of D. Mitchell Interiors, Clintonville, Wis., won a $700 gift certificate to the Mall of America.
The 2003 Minneapolis Summer Home Furnishings Market will be held July 31–Aug. 3.
New IHFRA pin commemorates 75th anniversary
11/22/2009Six reps named High Point Market ambassadors
07/28/2009NHFA, IHFRA honoring four execs at market
03/19/2005Minneapolis show closes after 19 years
05/31/2004
