Darvin Furniture & Mattress is an American furniture and mattress retailer based in Orland Park, Illinois. Three generations of the Darvin family have owned and operated Chicago metro area's furniture and mattress store.[2][3] The company was founded by Louis Darvin in 1920 and succeeded by son David Darvin, then by grandsons Steve and Marty Darvin. Under the leadership of Darvin Furniture & Mattress President Will Harris, the retailer is ranked 71st in the Top-100 list of Furniture Retailers in the U.S.[4]
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 Darvin Furniture Store in 2018 | |
| Industry | Furniture and Mattress Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1920 |
| Founder | Louis Darvin |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Will Harris - President; Steven Darvin, Marty Darvin |
| Products | Furniture, Mattresses, Rugs |
| Revenue |  US$ 100 million (2021) |
Number of employees | about 300[1] |
| Website | www |
History
editIn 1920 Louis Darvin began selling furniture door-to-door in Chicago.[1] In 1939, Louis and son, David, opened the first Darvin Furniture store in the West Pullman neighborhood of Chicago with 5,000 square feet (465 m2) and moved to a 25,000-square-foot (2,323 m2) location in Pullman in 1948 before settling into a 50,000-square-foot (4,645 m2) showroom in Chicago's Southside.[5] In the 1970s, David's sons, Steve and Marty, joined the family business, and in 1980 a new facility was built in Orland Park, 25 miles south of downtown Chicago. Five expansions to the facility have been made since 1980. In 2000, Darvin opened its 218,000-square-foot distribution center in Mokena, Illinois,[6] In 2010, a 10,000-square-foot Mattress Gallery was added to the store.[7] An additional 35,000-square-foot Clearance & Outlet Center was added to the second floor of its showroom in 2015.[8] Darvin launched its digital e-commerce platform in 2017, allowing users to purchase merchandise online from home or on the go.[9]
In 2020, Steve and Marty Darvin transitioned the company to employee ownership via an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). This plan led to a transition of the management structure that brought Will Harris to run as the company's president. He is the first person outside the family to become the leader of Darvin Furniture.[10] As of 2020, when the company went outside of the family for new leadership in Will Harris, the company was the largest furniture and mattress store in the Chicago area.[11]
Community
editDarvin Furniture & Mattress is active in the Chicago giving community, participating with regional charities and helping with local non-profit needs. The company has participated in local fundraising, furniture donation,[12] crisis center support,[13] and support for autistic people.[14][15]
Awards and recognition
edit- Top-100 Furniture Retailer, Furniture Today Magazine – 2018[16]
- Accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) – 2018[17]
- City of Hope Honoree[9]
- Illinois Retail Merchants Association Retailer of the Year Award – 2016[9]
- Orland Park Community Pride Award – 2016[1]
- Best Furniture in Northwest Indiana, Northwest Indiana Times – 2012, 2015[18]
- Furniture Today Leadership Award 2018[19]
- Lifetime Achievement - Retail Giant, Furniture Today Magazine – 2021 [20]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Darvin Furniture named retailer of the year by Illinois Retail Merchants Association". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ Elejalde-Ruiz, Alexia. "Darvin Furniture expands sole store, targets younger customers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ Engel, Clint (May 21, 2018). "2018 Top-100 U.S. Furniture Stores". Furniture Today.
- ^ Staff (May 24, 2005). "Top 100 furniture stores". Furniture Today.
- ^ "Darvin Furniture celebrates a century in business". Home Accents Today. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ Holecek, Andrea (September 24, 1999). "Furniture company planning growth". The Times of Northwest Indiana.
- ^ O’Mara, Sheila (May 19, 2021). "Darvin Furniture & Mattress: "We're out of the box, and never going back"". Furniture Today.
- ^ Engel, Clint (July 14, 2014). "Darvin Furniture invests $4M in expansion". Furniture Today.
- ^ a b c James, Gary. "Near its centennial, Darvin Furniture thrives on innovation". Furniture Today. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ Solomon, Micah (August 29, 2021). "From Door To Door To 200,000 Square Feet Of Success: The Darvin Furniture Story". Forbes Magazine.
- ^ Bienenstock, Russell (August 4, 2020). "Darvin Furniture & Mattress Celebrates 100 Years". Furniture World Magazine. 151 (6 November/December). Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ Lauren, Traut (May 27, 2015). "Civic Center Nears Completion with Help from Local Furniture Retailer". Patch News.
- ^ "Darvin Furniture Begins 100 Year Celebration with $5,000 Crisis Center Donation, SUV Giveaway". Furniture Today. March 12, 2020.
- ^ Jarrett, Vicky (December 22, 2020). "Darvin Donation Helps Establish Librarys First Sensory Room". Furniture Today.
- ^ "Darvin Furniture & Mattress Blood Drive Addresses Local Blood Shortages". Patch News. January 24, 2022.
- ^ Staff. "Darvin Furniture & Mattress promotes Georgiadis". Furniture Today. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ "Darvin Furniture & Mattress". BBB. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ Pete, Joseph S. "Best Furniture Store: Darvin Furniture". NW Times. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ McLoughlin, Bill. "Honoring this year's Leadership Conference award honorees". Furniture Today. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "Bedding Conference honors lifetime achievement, retail giants". Furniture Today. May 27, 2021.
External links
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