Darvin Furniture & Mattress

Darvin Furniture & Mattress is a 103-year-old American furniture and mattress retailer based in Orland Park, Illinois. Three generations of the Darvin family have owned and operated Chicago metro area's largest 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]

Darvin Furniture & Mattress
IndustryFurniture and Mattress Retail
Founded1920 (1920)
FounderLouis Darvin
Headquarters
Orland Park, Illinois
,
U.S.
Key people
Will Harris - President; Steven Darvin, Marty Darvin
ProductsFurniture, Mattresses, Rugs
RevenueIncrease US$ 100 million (2021)
Number of employees
about 300[1]
Websitewww.darvin.com
Darvin Furniture Store in 2021

History

In 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 9,000-square-foot Mattress Gallery was added to the store.[7] In 2014, Darvin Furniture was ranked 71st of 100 Furniture Retailers in the U.S.[8] An additional 36,000-square-foot Clearance & Outlet Center was added to the second floor of its showroom in 2015. [9] Darvin launched its digital e-commerce platform in 2017, allowing users to purchase merchandise online from home or on the go.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12] Nonetheless, it remained uncommon among the Top 100 furniture retailers as a single store operation.[13]

Community

Darvin 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,[14] crisis center support,[15] and support for autistic people.[16][17]

Awards and recognition
  • Top-100 Furniture Retailer, Furniture Today Magazine – 2018[18]
  • Accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) – 2018[19]
  • City of Hope Honoree[10]
  • Illinois Retail Merchants Association Retailer of the Year Award – 2016[10]
  • Orland Park Community Pride Award – 2016[1]
  • Best Furniture in Northwest Indiana, Northwest Indiana Times – 2012, 2015[20]
  • Furniture Today Leadership Award 2018[21]
  • Lifetime Achievement - Retail Giant, Furniture Today Magazine – 2021 [22]

References
  1. "Darvin Furniture named retailer of the year by Illinois Retail Merchants Association". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  2. Elejalde-Ruiz, Alexia. "Darvin Furniture expands sole store, targets younger customers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  3. Engel, Clint (May 21, 2018). "2018 Top-100 U.S. Furniture Stores". Furniture Today.
  4. Staff (May 24, 2005). "Top 100 furniture stores". Furniture Today.
  5. "Darvin Furniture celebrates a century in business". Home Accents Today. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  6. Holecek, Andrea (September 24, 1999). "Furniture company planning growth". The Times of Northwest Indiana.
  7. O’Mara, Sheila (May 19, 2021). "Darvin Furniture & Mattress: "We're out of the box, and never going back"". Furniture Today.
  8. Staff (May 24, 2005). "Top 100 furniture stores". Furniture Today.
  9. Engel, Clint (July 14, 2014). "Darvin Furniture invests $4M in expansion". Furniture Today.
  10. James, Gary. "Near its centennial, Darvin Furniture thrives on innovation". Furniture Today. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  11. Solomon, Micah (August 29, 2021). "From Door To Door To 200,000 Square Feet Of Success: The Darvin Furniture Story". Forbes Magazine.
  12. Bienenstock, Russell (August 4, 2020). "Darvin Furniture & Mattress Celebrates 100 Years". Furniture World Magazine. 151 (6 November/December). Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  13. Clark, Doug (August 7, 2020). "At 100, Darvin sees a bright future". Home Furnishing Association. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  14. Lauren, Traut (May 27, 2015). "Civic Center Nears Completion with Help from Local Furniture Retailer". Patch News.
  15. "Darvin Furniture Begins 100 Year Celebration with $5,000 Crisis Center Donation, SUV Giveaway". Furniture Today. March 12, 2020.
  16. Jarrett, Vicky (December 22, 2020). "Darvin Donation Helps Establish Librarys First Sensory Room". Furniture Today.
  17. "Darvin Furniture & Mattress Blood Drive Addresses Local Blood Shortages". Patch News. January 24, 2022.
  18. Staff. "Darvin Furniture & Mattress promotes Georgiadis". Furniture Today. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  19. "Darvin Furniture & Mattress". BBB. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  20. Pete, Joseph S. "Best Furniture Store: Darvin Furniture". NW Times. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  21. McLoughlin, Bill. "Honoring this year's Leadership Conference award honorees". Furniture Today. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  22. "Bedding Conference honors lifetime achievement, retail giants". Furniture Today. May 27, 2021.
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