When I look at 2021 through the lens of advocacy, I must tell you that it was a game-changer for our industry and the home furnishings association. That’s something I say on many different levels. First, the sheer volume of issues we weighed in on, the positions we presented, and
We saw something that we haven’t seen in quite some time, a compromise on Capitol Hill. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, supported by the Biden Administration, was debated in the Senate, passed with a strong bipartisan vote, and sent to the House. For years, there’s been talk about the
I’ve noticed an interesting shift in meetings we’ve had with key staff in Cabinet departments like Commerce and Transportation or with members of Congress. Before I get to that shift, you need to know that we have increased the frequency of the meetings with influencers intentionally. We have got to
Accomplishing the goal of adequate U.S. infrastructure funding has been a critical talking point in recent months on Capitol Hill. One of President Biden’s major legislative accomplishments was the American Rescue Plan. It was a $2.2 trillion bill that extended federal unemployment bonuses through early September, provided $300+ billion to
The Home Furnishings Association invited High Point Representatives Kathy Manning (D) and Ted Budd (R) to visit High Point Market. HFA CEO Mark Schumacher discussed with them the furniture industry and the issues that retailers face such as supply chain, tariffs, and more.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at the Department of Labor recently released its long-anticipated Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on ‘Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace.’ Labor Secretary Marty Walsh led this effort while President Biden’s nominee for OSHA Administrator, Doug Parker, is still working
Crumbling infrastructure is a common problem across the United States, impacting our global competitiveness and directly impacting furniture retailers trying to receive, process, and deliver in-demand goods to consumers. For the last several years, the running joke in Washington, DC, has been the never-ending ‘Infrastructure Week.’ Previous administrations and congresses
More important, what should they do? At a peer group meeting of eight successful construction industry CEOs years ago, the
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