Family Furniture wins Buyer Award

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 11, 2013

TUPELO, Miss. - Family Furniture, a three-store chain based in Mount Rainier, Md., was presented with the National Buyer Appreciation Award at the Tupelo Furniture Market.
     Founded in 1968, the company has been shopping the Tupelo market for about 25 years and plans to continue to do so, said Norman Gilden, president and CEO.
     "You can't go to a better promotional furniture show," Gilden said at the awards ceremony.
     Addressing a crowd of several hundred buyers, sales representatives and industry executives, he said the award "is one of the nicest things that has happened to me in 40 years in the furniture business."

At the Buyer Appreciation Award presentation are Kevin Seddon, left, and Adam Cleveland, Tupelo Furniture Market; Harvey Zalis and Norman Gilden, Family Furniture, Mount Rainier, Md.; Jack Reed Jr., mayor of Tupelo; V.M. Cleveland, Tupelo Furniture Market; and Greg Giachelli, Tupelo Furniture Marketing Assn

     Gilden was joined by merchandise manager Harvey Zalis in accepting the award.
     Catnapper sales representative Fred Southerland, meanwhile, won the market's Manufacturer's Rep Award, according to a report in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. He joined the company, the motion division of Jackson Furniture, two years ago after a long career with Vaughan-Bassett.
     "This is unbelievable," Southerland said at the awards ceremony, the Journal reported. "I've been blessed to work with a lot of people here ... and it's an honor to be recognized by your peers."