La-Z-Boy Foundation Donates $350,000 for The New Home of The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame

A generous grant from the La-Z-Boy Foundation has been awarded to the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Building Fund.  The $350,000 gift will name the Grand Story Wall that will become the distinguishing feature on the front of the building.   

“The Hall of Fame is one of the preeminent organizations in the home furnishings industry, and the new building will serve as a center of inspiration and education for present and future industry leaders while honoring those individuals from the past who established the strong foundation of today,” says Melinda Whittington, La-Z-Boy Incorporated president and CEO. “Throughout La-Z-Boy’s history, we’ve had an amazing group of executives associated with our company, with eight already inducted into the Hall of Fame.  The Story Wall allows us to recognize their contributions as well as to honor all associates over our 95 years.”

The La-Z-Boy Incorporated Story Wall is a 25- by 13-foot digital matrix of interlaced LED screens that can be programmed with photography and videos. Just feet from the street, it will draw visitors into the building with inspirational images and videos.  The 25,000 sq. ft. building is on schedule to open for the April 2023 Market as a place for the industry to gather, honor and learn.  It is located at 311 S. Hamilton St., just one block from the IHFC in the heart of the High Point Market.

“We’re thrilled to support and celebrate furniture manufacturing and retailing, particularly given La-Z-Boy Incorporated’s mission to transform rooms, homes and communities with the comfort derived from high-quality and stylish furniture, Whittington said. 

Adds Karen McNeill, Hall of Fame CEO and Chief Vision Officer, “Most people know us for the Induction Celebration, but we have long been building a treasury of information to capture our history and to tell our stories.  The La-Z-Boy Incorporated Story Wall will present the stories of our inductees, our industry and our emerging leaders. It will be a dramatic addition to the High Point Market landscape.”

The new home of the industry will feature interactive exhibits, the Hall of Fame, a Women’s Center for Leadership, a Tribute Wall, the immersive theatre, Discovery Exhibits, the Tell Us Your Story video booth, a Library, History Center, the Leaders Board Room, and a coffee and cocktail bar.  The exhibits are organized around four themes:  the Industry, the People, the Process and the Products.  Designed for flexibility, with special functions in mind, a full-service hospitality kitchen will provide comprehensive food service.

The building was designed by Freeman Kennett Architects in High Point. The exhibits are being designed by Roto, an international exhibits firm based in Columbus, Ohio.

Capital campaign donors include Jim Sneed, Affordable Furniture, Michael Amini , AICO, Jake Jabs, American Furniture Warehouse, The Wanek family and Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., Dixon Bartlett, Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc., The BB&T Foundation, Bear’s Furniture and Mattress, Lyle Harris, Behold Home, Beiter’s Furniture, Don Belgrad, Bernhardt Furniture Company, Bernie & Phyl’s, Best Home Furnishings/Best Chairs, Biltrite Furniture – Leather – Mattress, Roger and Martha Bland, Bostic Sugg Furniture, Bowen Town & Country Furniture, Brown Squirrel Furniture, The Broyhill Family Foundation, Bobby Bush (Bush Brothers LLC), C. S. Wo & Sons LLC, Callan Furniture, Keith Koenig, City Furniture, Classic Home, Randy Coconis, Coconis Furniture, Bruce and Kena Cohenour, J. Don Coleman, Coleman Consulting LLC, Connie Lineberry Associates LLC, Patrick Cory, Joseph Cory Holdings, LLC, Crypton, Culp, Décor Rest, Designer Furniture Gallery, the DRIVE Foundation, Chad Spencer, Dufresne Spencer Group, Ekornes, Inc., El Dorado Furniture, Engles Furniture, Jerry Epperson, Erickson Furniture, Fashion Furniture, Bill and Candy Fenn, Fiesta Furnishings, Mickey Holliman, Five Star, Flexstell Industries, Four Hands, Hassell Franklin, Franklin Corporation, Richard and Catherine Frinier, Furniture First Buying Group, The Furniture Foundation, Furniture Mall of Kansas, Furniture Marketing Group, Dallas Market Center, Bill and Carolyn Hinks, Furniture Mart USA, Furniture of America, In Memory of Mark Richmond, The Furniture Warehouse, Furniture Warehouse Design Gallery, Furniture World Magazine, Andrew Bernstein, FurnitureDealer.Net, Gat Creek, Gill Bros Furniture, Glen Raven, David Gebhart and Frederick Rayner, Global Views, Grand Home Furnishings, The Great American Home Store, Guardian Protection Products, Haverty Furniture Companies, David R. Hayworth, Hickory Furniture Mart, Skipper Holliman, Jr., Home Stretch, Hooker Furnishings Corporation, Howell Furniture, Infinger Furniture, INTERIORSHOME, International Market Centers, Jofran, Inc., Jordan’s Furniture Inc., Julius M. Feinblum Real Estate, Inc., The Ina Mae Kaplan Historic Preservation Fund, Bill and Sue Kimbrell, Aminy Audi, L. & J.G. Stickley, Lacquer Craft USA, La-Z-Boy Incorporated, Liberty Furniture Industries , Inc., Amir Loloi, Loloi Rugs, Manwah Holdings, Markor International Furniture, Matter Brothers Furniture and Florida Leather Gallery, Karen McNeill and Stephen Pond, Michael Alan Furnishings, Mike’s Furniture, Miller Waldrop Furniture, Montgomery’s Furniture, Jim Morgan, Nationwide Marketing Group, Nebraska Furniture Mart, New Atlantic Contracting Inc., Norwalk Furniture, Nourison Industries, PALECEK, Phillips Collection, Pilgrim Furniture City, Ed Hendon, Planned Furniture Promotions, Gene Rosenberg, Planned Furniture Promotions, Rob Rosenberg, Planned Furniture Promotions, Roy Hester, Planned Furniture Promotions, Tom Liddell, Planned Furniture Promotions, Martin and Mary Ann Ploy, Stephen Knight Pond, Prestige Arts / Art Trends, Jeff Child, R.C. Willey Home Furnishings, Neil & Robin Goldberg, Raymour & Flanigan Furniture, RHF Companies, Riverside Furniture, Lawrence Rogers, Room to Room, Rooms to Go, April and Steve Rusing, Schwarz Properties, Slone Bros Furniture, Slumberland Furniture, Smith Leonard, Will Somers, Steger’s Furniture, Steinhafels Furniture, Suburban Furniture, Surya, Sylvan Furniture, Christopher Taylor, TD Retail Card Services Donation, Tempur Sealy, Valdese Weavers, VanDrie Home Furnishings, John Bray, Vanguard Furniture Company, Inc., Virginia Furniture Market, Wagner’s Home Furnishings and Design, Bill and Julia Wittenberg, Womble Bond and Dickson, Woodstock Furniture Outlet, Imogene Zimmerman.  Gifts may be received from individuals, companies, other nonprofit foundations and the government, or through a DTC transaction for appreciated securities.

About The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc.

The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc., is an industry-wide organization founded to preserve its history, to celebrate exceptional individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the U.S. home furnishings industry, and to inspire a new class of innovation and leadership. Membership includes eligibility to nominate candidates for consideration by the Selection Committee, and the opportunity to help preserve the history and heritage of the industry. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, 92 percent of all funds support our history and leadership programming. The organization currently is based in High Point, North Carolina, at 202 Neal Place, Suite 101, and can be reached at 336.882.5900. Watch for ongoing developments and details about the grand opening of a new permanent home, which is targeted for 2023.