500 attend Art Van birthday party in Grand Rapids

Crowd salutes retailer's 50 years in business

Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, November 13, 2009

Bob Armfield, left, Hammary; Jack Richardson, American Drew and Lea Inds.; Art Van Elslander, Art Van Furniture, Warren, Mich.; and John Labarowski, Hammary.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Some 500 people attended Art Van Furniture's third and final birthday party here, which celebrated 50 years in business in the state with yet another large charitable giveaway.

Guests, including furniture industry executives, enjoyed an array of food and beverages, music from the Simone Vitale Band and gospel singer Vickie Winans, acrobatic performances by Il Circo and insights into the Warren, Mich.-based Top 100 company shared by its founder Art Van Elslander.

In an on-stage interview with local WOOD-TV 8 anchor Suzanne Geha, Van Elslander discussed everything from Art Van's beginnings and a brush with near failure years ago to plans for a bright future.

Asked how the now 32-store company has managed to stay on top in such a tough economic climate while other retailers are closing down,

Kim Yost, left, Art Van Furniture, Warren, Mich.; an Il Circo performer; and David Van Elslander, Art Van.

Van Elslander said he has been lucky enough to be surrounded by good, dedicated people and that he learned early on the importance of advertising and the need to expand the business to thrive.

He also said the company has been "blessed with market share." He noted that bedding is the company's top-selling product and that Art Van has a 50% market share in the category in Michigan, "which is almost unheard of."

"When things get as tough as they are, people want to buy from somebody they know, and (get) service by somebody they know ... so they can be certain they will be taken care of," he said about the retailer's success.

As for expansion beyond Michigan, Van Elslander said that with Art Van's current distribution center operations,

"we're very capable of going into Ohio -Columbus, Cincinnati. We're looking at places like that."

As with earlier gala events at the flagship Warren stores and the Flint showroom, Art Van underwrote the cost of the event and ticket proceeds

Karl Stern, left, Pulaski Furniture; Cathy DiSante and Bob Price, Art Van Furniture, Warren, Mich.; and Dennis Ammons, Pulaski Furniture.

went to charity - this time the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Foundation in Grand Rapids.

The three galas were expected to raise a total of more than $500,000 for charity and draw nearly 3,000 people. The parties were part of a months-longs anniversary celebration that included many other events benefiting charities, including $1 million in donations given to 50 nonprofit organizations across the state in a 50-hour period.

Kerry Schut, left, England; David Van Elslander, Art Van Furniture, Warren, Mich.; and Ken Karpinski, England.

 

 

A performer from the Il Circo troupe performs near the entrance of Art Van Furniture’s Grand Rapids, Mich., store for guests of the 50th anniversary charity gala.

 

The vintage 1959 Corvette convertible that Art Van is giving away Nov. 11 was on display outside the main Grand Rapids showroom just off the red-carpet entrance to the 50th anniversary gala.