Industry Veteran Steve Kincaid Dies at 71

June 23, 2020  by Laurie Northington in Industry, Obituaries   

Involved in the Kincaid family business since he was a young boy, Kincaid formally started with Kincaid Furniture Company as a sales rep in 1970. He moved through the ranks of the company and, in 1983 was named president and took the company public. Kincaid grew under Steve’s leadership with his keen vision for merchandising and marketing and, in 1989, the company was acquired by La-Z-Boy. Kincaid ran La-Z-Boy’s casegoods business for more than 25 years and moved to an advisory role in 2015 after serving as senior vice president of La-Z-Boy Incorporated and president, La-Z-Boy Casegoods.

Kurt L. Darrow, chairman, president and CEO, of La-Z-Boy, said: “Steve was known throughout the industry for his high level of integrity, leadership and creativity. He was a true gentlemen’s gentleman, was highly respected, a friend to many and truly cared about every employee at every level at Kincaid. During his time with La-Z-Boy, he made numerous contributions, the most significant of which was navigating the Casegoods group through a comprehensive transition from a domestic manufacturer to an import model as the wood furniture industry moved offshore.”

Among his many career accomplishments, Kincaid served as president and a board member of the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) and the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation and led the creation of the High Point Market Authority and served as its first chairman. He also served on the Boards of the American Furniture Foundation, the International Woodworking Fair, and the International Home Furnishings Center Advisory Board. Kincaid was inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame in 2009. 

Kincaid was also involved in many charitable organizations. He served on the boards of the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, Caldwell Memorial Hospital, the Caldwell Memorial Hospital Foundation, Smart Start/Communities in Schools and Wachovia Bank in Lenoir, NC. He also served in the N.C. National Guard. He was a recipient of the prestigious City of Hope Spirit of Life Award in 2001, as well as the Central Carolina Bank “Golden Apple Award.”

Darrow added, “Steve’s generous spirit, charisma and guiding way will be sorely missed by so many within the furniture industry. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Kim, and their family.”