Hall of Fame Induction

It is with great joy that we congratulate our founder and chairman, Bill Hinks, on his upcoming induction into the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame! This is our industry's highest honor recognizing Bill's leadership and outstanding achievements in contributing to the development and growth of the home furnishings industry based on four pillars: enduring excellence, superior accomplishments, innovation and creativity, and philanthropic generosity. Bill will join other icons of the industry with enshrinement in the Hall during the High Point Market later this fall.

Satya Tiwari, president of the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Directors says that "This year's class of inductees represents the core values of superior accomplishments and enduring excellence.... Each has impacted the industry with innovation, and each represents high personal character and ethical standards.  They inspire all of us and have been found worthy of the industry's most prestigious honor."

A seven-member selection committee, composed of representatives from diverse segments of the industry, chose this year's inductees based on their contributions to the growth and development of the home furnishings industry in the United States. The anonymous committee has spent five months carefully vetting each candidate.  In determining this year's slate, they noted the following about William A. Hinks.

William A. Hinks, founder and chairman of Furniture Mart USA started selling used furniture in 1977, becoming a serial entrepreneur who provides consumers in rural markets with the access to a wide range of brands typically only found in metropolitan stores. The Top 40 retailer offers a holistic solution in six midwestern states including furnishings, flooring and design services supported by an in-stock, rapid delivery network.  With a mission to transform “houses into homes, employees into family and customers into friends,” the three-generation family business based in Sioux Falls, S.D., owns most of its 60 storefront and warehouse properties. The Priority Sales program partners with nine Native American Reservations to provide private funding to tribal members, thereby enabling many to buy furniture for the first time.

The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc., is an industry-wide organization founded to preserve its history, to celebrate exceptional individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the United States home furnishings industry, to inspire the next generation of innovative leaders and to engage the community with the world of home furnishings.