Furniture First Buying Group recently held elections for positions on the Board of Directors to replace two outgoing members. During Furniture First’s General Membership & Annual Meeting at the April High Point Market, the nominees were approved by a vote of acclamation.
Ron Deets of Deets HomeStore in Norfolk, NE and Eric Sinclair of Montgomery’s Furniture in Sioux Falls, SD were elected as the newest members of the Board of Directors and each will serve a two-year term. Retiring Board members are Beth Barnes of FurnitureLand in Delmar, DE and Larry Smith of Smith Home Furnishings in Ponca City, OK. Both were presented with plaques recognizing their contributions and service to the group. Larry Smith previously served as the Board’s Chairman from 2011 to 2013, and Beth Barnes just completed two successive terms as Treasurer.
The following slate of nominees were reinstated as members of the Board of Directors, and will serve a two-year term: Russell Blocker of Blocker’s Furniture, Ocala, FL; Randy Coconis of Coconis Furniture, South Zanesville, OH; Steve Kloss of The Tin Shed, Highland, IL; and Chairman Mike Kordik of Mike’s Furniture, Joliet, IL.
Current Board members with one year terms remaining include Nick Cardi of Cardi’s Furniture, Swansea, MA; Secretary Chris Cooley of Michael Alan Furnishings, Lake Havasu City, AZ; Ken Paul of FrontRoom Furnishings, Columbus, OH; Vice Chairman Art Scholet of Scholet Furniture, Oneonta, NY; and Treasurer Richard Talsma of Talsma Furniture, Hudsonville, MI. Mr. Talsma was appointed the new Treasurer.
At this meeting, Furniture First President Bill Hartman was also presented with a plaque by Ed Kennedy, owner of Great Deals on Furniture, Martinez, GA – one of the founding members of Furniture First. The award commemorates Mr. Hartman’s 20 year anniversary as staff leader of the buying group reporting to the Board of Directors.
Furniture First was founded in 1994 and today the group is comprised of 211 independent retailers with 444 stores in 47 states. Collectively, Furniture First Members produce $1.7 billion in retail sales. Furniture First is a national “Home Furnishings and Mattress” only buying group serving the over $2 million full line independent retailer. For more information on Furniture First, please call Bill Hartman at 800-411-3477, ext. 123 or email BHartman@FurnitureFirst.com.