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From Home Furnishing Business
Hooker Furnishings Honors Retired CEO Paul Toms on Arbor Day
May 3,
2021 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
Hooker Furnishings celebrated retired CEO Paul Toms’ legacy of planting seeds of growth and expansion for two decades by planting a tree in his honor at their corporate headquarters on Arbor Day, April 30.
A living tribute, employees chose to plant a Bloodgood Japanese Maple to symbolize balance and calm. A plaque will adjoin the tree and is engraved with the dedication date.
“Paul Toms was a leader who built an incredible sense of history and heritage within our company and we are proud to honor him in such a way that symbolizes continued growth,” said Jeremy Hoff, chief executive officer of Hooker Furnishings. “Paul’s legacy will forever be embedded in our culture and this dedication represents his unwavering commitment and leadership that has helped shape our company into the industry leader we are today.
“As we placed this tree into the earth, it represents the growth, progress and potential that can be achieved when we continue to function as ‘One Company…One Team,’” he added.
“I am honored to have continued in the footsteps of the great leaders of our company, Clyde Hooker and Clyde Hooker Jr.,” said Toms. “Throughout my 38 years with the company, I was fortunate enough to lead a group of people that truly embody what teamwork means, and as a team, we were successful…together.”
Earlier this year, the company announced it is strengthening its commitment to corporate social responsibility. In recent months, the company has created an Environmental Social Governance Council, a cross-brand, cross-functional group that will drive the company’s initiatives.
As part of this series of initiatives, Hooker Furnishings has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to support reforestation efforts in Florida. Through this partnership, the company has furthered its commitment to creating a healthier, cleaner world today and into the future. Through its corporate support, Hooker Furnishings is helping to build critical habitats for endangered wildlife, healthier watersheds and waterways, and more sustainable ecosystems.
The Arbor Day Foundation, a 501 c(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1972, plants approximately five million trees per year, and is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to tree planting. With partners in more than 45 countries around the world, the foundation is strongly committed to making change by planting.