Daily News

From Home Furnishing Business

American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Considers Legal Action Against ITA

March 1, 2026  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

“The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame® has spent millions of dollars to establish the brand and more recently to construct a bricks and mortar Hall of Fame as the industry’s home to honor our leaders, to gather and to learn,” says Jeremy Hoff, Board chairman and CEO of Hooker Home Furnishings.  “We have inducted members,  donors, ongoing supporters, annual Foundation members, Paul Broyhill Leaders, participants in our Leadership Institute, Board members, events and museum exhibits representing individuals in the textiles field.  It is in our logo and the name on the outside of our building.”

Satya Tiwari, chairman of the organization’s Board of Directors and CEO of Surya, purchased Mitchell Gold a few years ago.  “The rug side of the business has always held a great appreciation for color and patterns but now that we own an upholstery manufacturing division, I recognize even more so just how critical fabrics are to upholstery – to what sells and what doesn’t sell.  For ITA to maintain that textiles and their members aren’t a part of the home furnishings industry is just incomprehensible.  Even their showrooms are located in the heart of the High Point Market showroom district, with several just across the street from the Hall of Fame.”

“As we all know and appreciate, textile fabrics used in upholstery, pillows, draperies, bed coverings, linens and more are a crucial element of home furnishings,” says John Schultz, Board second vice president and co-CEO of John V. Schultz Furniture and Levin Furniture. “We all know that fabrics introduce color, patterns and tactile textures as a vital and significant element of what makes us a fashion industry and turn a house into a home,  So much so that our Selection Committee actively considers this segment of the industry for induction.”

The Selection Process used for the Hall of Fame was adopted many years ago after a Board committee took two years to diligently study other industries including sports, manufacturing  and entertainment, explained Karen McNeill Pond, CEO.  “After better understanding the vast array of honors, we spent another year crafting the profile of what an inducted member of the Hall of Fame should stand for in order to inspire emerging leaders to greatness through Enduring Excellence, Superior Accomplishments, Innovation and Creativity, and a Philanthropic Heart.  This includes a point-based ballot and specific system for evaluating nominations and candidates,” she says. "It is highly factual and above all, the anonymous Selection Committee, comprised of industry executives, studies what the candidate has done to change and impact the industry.”

“To copy our name and award has already created confusion,” says Gat Caperton, Board first vice president and founder of Gat Creek. “Moreover, the timing and manner in which ITA has chosen to position and launch its new venture is uncannily similar to ours, opening their nominations at the same time and adopting a selection criterion that just changes a few words. ITA has even announced that they are going to establish a Wall of Fame again, which we established decades ago. There is confusion about whether this new award is an adjunct or subset related to us.”

Adds Hoff, “It is for these reasons that we are defending not just our brand but our very name for past and future inducted members of the Hall of Fame representing the textiles and upholstery segments.  We are protecting the value of receiving the industry’s highest honor.”

“This whole situation is unfortunate,” says Greg Avitabile, board secretary-treasurer. “There is such an easy solution: choose a different name, a worthy name, for the textiles honor.  That is all that we are asking.”