Association Blog

Let’s talk about time management. Every family business is unique unto itself. But while there are no two that are alike, that doesn’t mean there are not similarities. When I meet with a family business – whether it‘s a construction company or a furniture store – we end up having the same talk. I bet you’ve had the same talk about your store, or at least you’ve thought about it before. It’s the talk about the need for senior executives in family businesses to redefine their roles and focus on high-payoff executive functions versus the menial task functions that a

Howell Furniture has been named Retailer of the Year for 2019 by the Home Furnishings Association. The award was presented Jan. 6 to owners Wade Witt, Shawn Hanley and Tom Schwaab in their Beaumont store by Mark Schumacher, executive vice president of the HFA. [Watch: HFA Facebook live at Howell Furniture] Howell, which also operates stores in Nederland and Lake Charles, La., was the winner in the large retailer category, or those with more than 50 employees. It was chosen from a field of finalists, most much larger, by a panel of furniture industry judges. The company was founded in

There’s little room for error in today’s tug of war between online giants and brick-and-mortar furniture retailers. The latter need to be at the top of their game, leveraging the unique, but often hidden strengths that each employee possesses to gain a competitive advantage. Unfortunately, Lorri Kelley, former president of BDi Furniture and now a retail adviser, sees more furniture retailers too busy elsewhere in their store to tap into their employees’ hidden strengths. Her seminar at the Home Furnishings Association’s Resource Center On Monday, Jan. 27, at Las Vegas Market is designed with those retailers – maybe you’re one