Belfort Furniture, Lawrance Furniture Are '12 Retailers of the Year

February 5, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on February 6, 2012

Belfort Furniture and Lawrance Furniture are the National Home Furnishings Association's 2012 Retailers of the Year.

Belfort, Dulles, Virginia, led by Mike Huber, is a family owned business that originated in Germany in 1969. The company as it is known today was founded by Mike and Kristi Huber when they opened the first store in 1987 in an industrial park with a lone employee. Within five years Belfort employed 25 team members. By 1992, the 35,000-square-foot Belfort Galleries opened in Dulles, situated in one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S   Belfort Basics opened in 2003, followed by Belfort Mattress & Kids in 2004, Belfort Interiors in 2005; and in 2006 Huber opened a new, state-of-the-art 83,000-square-foot warehouse.

Mike Huber was elected to the NHFA Board of Directors in 2012. He is an Advisory Board Member at Middleburg Bank, a member of Loudoun County CEO Cabinet, an Honorary Board Member of the Loudoun Education Foundation, and is recognized as a Top 100 Smart CEO by Washington, DC SmartCEO, and a Top 20 CEO by NOVA Executive.

Belfort has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to worthy charitable causes over the years, including City of Hope's Walk for Hope, Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter, Embry Rucker Shelter, the American Cancer Society, Avon Breast Cancer Walk and Doctors Without Borders. Belfort Furniture is the Corporate Sponsor of the YMCA Loudoun County Charity Golf Tournament, which has raised over $300,000 to date to send less fortunate children to camp.  Belfort was named 2008 Corporate Sponsor of the Year by the Loudoun County YMCA, and awarded the 2010 Corporate Partnership Award by the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington.

Lawrance Furniture, San Diego, led by Howard Haimsohn, was founded as Modern Furniture Company in 1937 by Howard's grandfather, Herman Haimsohn, and a friend, was located in downtown San Diego. In the mid-1950's Howard's father, Ed, took over the family business and changed the merchandising strategy from a general furniture store to a modern specialty retailer. In 1976, Howard became the third generation of the family to work in the business. In 1986, Ed turned over the reins of the business to Howard, making him president. Today Howard and his wife, Julie, manage Lawrance Furniture as the leading retailer of modern and contemporary home furnishings in San Diego County, with locations in San Diego and Encinitas.

After serving on the Board of the Western Home Furnishings Association, in 1990 Howard joined the Board of Directors of the National Home Furnishings Association. He was elected president of NHFA in 2002, and served a total of 14 years on the NHFA Board.

Howard and his father founded the Contemporary Design Group in 1983. Howard currently serves as president of this organization, which has 20 member companies across the country.

Howard and Julie, along with Lawrance Furniture, are active in their local community, supporting Rady's Childrens Hospital, Congregation Beth Israel Hunger Project, which provides 1,000 meals a year to the homeless and needy; City of Hope cancer research, Susan B. Komen for the Cure, Seacrest Village senior housing and healthcare, Helen Woodward Animal Center, and Center for Community Solutions for the prevention of sexual assault and domestic violence.  

NHFA's Retailer of the Year Awards are presented at the Spring High Point Market Furniture Industry Awards Gala. This year's Gala will be held Monday, April 23, at 6 p.m. in the IHFC Ballroom, 11th Floor, Green Wing. Candidates must be nominated by active members of the home furnishings industry. The recipients are selected for their outstanding contributions to the home furnishings industry, exemplary service to the community, and personal business achievements. The award, signified by a crystal obelisk, is the highest honor that the 93-year old trade association can bestow upon a member.