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

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]

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 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

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,[12] crisis center support,[13] and support for autistic people.[14][15]

Awards and recognition

  • 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

  1. 1 2 3 "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. ↑ Engel, Clint (July 14, 2014). "Darvin Furniture invests $4M in expansion". Furniture Today.
  9. 1 2 3 James, Gary. "Near its centennial, Darvin Furniture thrives on innovation". Furniture Today. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  10. ↑ Solomon, Micah (August 29, 2021). "From Door To Door To 200,000 Square Feet Of Success: The Darvin Furniture Story". Forbes Magazine.
  11. ↑ Bienenstock, Russell (August 4, 2020). "Darvin Furniture & Mattress Celebrates 100 Years". Furniture World Magazine. 151 (6 November/December). Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  12. ↑ Lauren, Traut (May 27, 2015). "Civic Center Nears Completion with Help from Local Furniture Retailer". Patch News.
  13. ↑ "Darvin Furniture Begins 100 Year Celebration with $5,000 Crisis Center Donation, SUV Giveaway". Furniture Today. March 12, 2020.
  14. ↑ Jarrett, Vicky (December 22, 2020). "Darvin Donation Helps Establish Librarys First Sensory Room". Furniture Today.
  15. ↑ "Darvin Furniture & Mattress Blood Drive Addresses Local Blood Shortages". Patch News. January 24, 2022.
  16. ↑ Staff. "Darvin Furniture & Mattress promotes Georgiadis". Furniture Today. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  17. ↑ "Darvin Furniture & Mattress". BBB. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  18. ↑ Pete, Joseph S. "Best Furniture Store: Darvin Furniture". NW Times. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  19. ↑ McLoughlin, Bill. "Honoring this year's Leadership Conference award honorees". Furniture Today. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  20. ↑ "Bedding Conference honors lifetime achievement, retail giants". Furniture Today. May 27, 2021.
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