ROSEVILLE, Calif.–Board members from National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA), Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA) and Home Furnishings Independents Association (HFIA) completed voting yesterday to approve the merger of the three organizations. Upon sanctioning by the members, the alliance will be newly named the North American Home Furnishings Association (NAHFA).
Announcement of the merger comes after months of collaboration between the three boards. Members of the organizations, which number more than 2,000 corporate entities representing over 10,000 storefronts, will vote on the merger for final approval.
Current president of NHFA, Marc Schewel, enthusiastically endorsed the merger saying, “This move eliminates confusion, competition and duplication of resources. It’s a total win for our industry and particularly retailers.”
Howard Haimsohn, president of Lawrance Furniture in San Diego and past president of both NHFA and WHFA, echoed his sentiments. “This is an amazing opportunity to pool the strengths of all of these organizations,” Haimsohn said. “It brings the best retailers, best minds and best practices together. This is going to be a positive for every aspect of our business.”
Three offices will serve the organization with locations in the east, west and central United States.