by HIGH POINT — The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation is seeking nominations for the Paul Broyhill Future Leaders Award, given during the April High Point Market. Each candidate must be under 40 years of age and will be selected based on a points-based evaluation of the candidate’s leadership, potential for personal growth, communications skills, and their commitment to the industry.
The Paul Broyhill Future Leaders Award, named after one of the industry’s leading families and a company that focused on executive training, is given annually to five emerging leaders. James Edgar Broyhill bought a struggling furniture operation in 1926, and despite the Great Depression, grew the company to over 1,000 employees. Paul Broyhill worked alongside his father, ultimately becoming CEO. A marketing genius and an innovator, he made Broyhill Furniture a household name, growing the company to six-million sq. ft. of manufacturing space and employing over 7,000 workers. “Rather than just building plants, I like to think I built people,” Paul Broyhill would say.
“The future of the home furnishings industry sits on the shoulders of these bright young leaders and will be determined largely by their goals, creativity, and determination,” says Caroline Hipple, president of the Foundation board of directors and president of Norwalk Furniture. “These interactions set the stage for future conversations and relationships, which in turn benefit the industry for years to come.”
Paul Broyhill Future Leaders will gather with inducted members of the Hall of Fame during an intimate evening designed to bring together the today’s young leaders with the experience and wisdom of inducted members of the Hall of Fame. A reception and dinner are hosted at the home of Karen McNeill, CEO of the Hall of Fame, and Steve Pond, founder of FurnitureToday, who conducts a guided discussion on leadership and innovation.
The profile of a Paul Broyhill Future Leader is:
- Under 40 years old
- An innovator
- A leader among peers
- Engaged with the home furnishings industry
- Willing to join a guided discussion with inductees
- Someone you would like to recognize and encourage
“We are looking for nominees who represent all segments and disciplines of the home furnishings industry,” Hipple says. “Past Paul Broyhill Future Leaders have experience in retail, home accents, case goods manufacturing, upholstery manufacturing, furniture design, technology, sales and more.”
To nominate someone as an American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Paul Broyhill Future Leader, download a nomination form at: homefurnishingshalloffame.com/leadership-initiative or call 336.882.5900 to request a form. Deadline for entries is February 15, 2022.
