Furniture/Today names Gallery Furniture, Best Home top leaders

Will be honored at Leadership Conference Dec. 1-3

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, September 15, 2010

HIGH POINT — Furniture/Today has announced that Houston-based Gallery Furniture has been named the publication's Retailer of the Year and upholstery source Best Home Furnishings is the Supplier of the Year.

Both companies will be honored at the Furniture/Today Leadership Conference, scheduled for Dec. 1-3 at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort in Naples, Fla.

"After the year we've had, ‘Where Do We Go from Here?' seemed to be a fitting theme for the conference, and our subtitle - ‘Dollars and Sense Strategies for Winning in Today's Uncertain Market' - also seemed to be highly appropriate," said Ray Allegrezza, Furniture/Today's editor-in-chief.

"And with that theme before us, I can't think of two better companies who as a result of their success during these particularly turbulent times, are more deserving of this recognition and honor," Allegrezza added.

Furniture/Today honors its leaders of the year for the initiatives they have implemented, either taking their companies or the industry to a new level of excellence.

Gallery Furniture's unflappable owner, Jim McIngvale, long known as an author of innovative, out-of-the-box advertising and promotions, led his company to a phoenix-like comeback after his large warehouse was severely damaged by an arson fire in May 2009.

"The amazing thing was that Jim never lost a beat, even as he and his team worked around the clock in order to repair the damage caused by the arson," Allegrezza said. "In the midst of literally rebuilding his business, McIngvale continued to introduce clever and creative advertising campaigns that engaged his customers and drove them into the store."

In the case of Best Home Furnishings, Allegrezza said that Furniture/Today plans to recognize a journey that began in 1962 with two members of the Lange family working in a small rented building.

Today, this growing operation - still family-owned - has more than 1.1 million square feet of manufacturing space in five locations and more than 1,000 employees, and is well on its way to becoming one of the largest upholstered furniture manufacturers in the world.

"Clearly, Best Home Furnishings is writing the book regarding speed to market in the upholstery arena. Today, the company's product selection has grown to hundreds of different styles, all available in over a thousand diverse cover selections made to order in days, not weeks, "Allegrezza said.

For more information about the upcoming Leadership Conference, click here.