Lastman father-son team named Retailers of Year
By Michael J. Knell -- Furniture Today, November 11, 2007
Mississauga, Ontario — Mel and Blayne Lastman of Lastman's Bad Boy, two of Canada's most colorful merchants, have been named Retailers of the Year for 2008 by the Canadian Home Furnishings Alliance.
The father-and-son team will be honored at a Jan. 13 gala during the Canadian Home Furnishings Market in Toronto.
"This award recognizes excellence and community service by Canadian furniture retailers," said Laine Reynolds, chairman of CHFA, until recently the Ontario Furniture Manufacturers Assn. "Mel Lastman and Blayne Lastman are most deserving of this recognition."
Following a successful career as a sales representative, Blayne Lastman resurrected the Bad Boy Furniture chain in 1991, almost 40 years after Mel founded the retailer and built it into a regional powerhouse with 40 stores across Ontario before selling the business and starting a political career. Before retiring from office about four years ago, Mel Lastman served as mayor of Toronto, this country's largest city.
Last year, Blayne bought out his partners and brought Mel back into the company, this time as cheerleader-in-chief, company spokesman and honorary chairman. Blayne is chairman and CEO.
Since then, the rechristened Lastman's Bad Boy has opened stores in London and Kitchener, Ontario, giving the chain a total of seven across southern Ontario. An eighth store will open in Burlington, Ontario, early next year.
Blayne Lastman said he plans to keep adding stores to the network over the next few years, perhaps in the Ontario cities of Hamilton, Peterborough and Kingston.
Among his better-known stunts was the hiring of a Bill Clinton impersonator as the company's spokesman. The then-U.S. president's staff tried and failed to get the campaign yanked, prompting wide media coverage in both the United States and Canada, and getting Lastman guest spots on major TV talk shows.
"Through vision, drive and leadership, they have created a strong brand that has a growing presence in the marketplace," the CHFA's Reynolds said, adding, "Both are well-known personalities who, aside from building and running a successful furniture retail operation, are equally giving both with their time and financial support to a number of charitable causes."
The Jan. 13 gala will be held at the Pearson Convention Center, with a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 o'clock. Tickets are available by calling the CHFA at (905) 677-6561 or by e-mailing CHFA President Murray Vaughan at murray@chfaweb.ca.
This will be the seventh Retailer of the Year honor bestowed by the CHFA. Previous honorees were The Mega Group; Tom Leon, honorary chairman of Leon's Furniture; Bill Tepperman, chairman of Tepperman's Furniture; Dennis Novosel of Stoney Creek Furniture; Mark Dufresne, CEO of the Dufresne Group; and Bill Comrie, founder of The Brick.
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