City Furniture
CITY Furniture is a family-owned American furniture and mattress retailer and fine upholstery manufacturer headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Originally founded by Kevin Charles Koenig in 1971 under the name Waterbed City[1], CITY Furniture was rebranded in 1994 when they expanded their product lines to include a broader selection of home furnishings. CITY Furniture is one of South Florida’s largest privately-owned companies[1], with 20 retail showrooms and 14 licensed Ashley HomeStore locations throughout Florida[1]. CITY Furniture is cited as a Top 100 Furniture Retailer by Furniture Today[2], employs over 2,200 people, and has plans for further growth in 2021[2].
HISTORY | KEVIN CHARLES KOENIG[edit]
Kevin Charles Koenig, the founder of what would become CITY Furniture, was born in New Jersey in 1947. He moved to South Florida with his family in 1961 and graduated from Northeast High School in Fort Lauderdale. He obtained his B.A. from Florida State University then his Master of Business Administration degree from Florida Atlantic University.[3]
Rather than heading into the corporate world post-graduation, Kevin Charles Koenig used his $8,700 in savings to open the first Waterbed City store in 1971 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 1975, after obtaining his MBA in Business Administration from the University of Florida, Kevin’s brother Keith joined CITY Furniture (then, Waterbed City) and is now CITY Furniture’s CEO[4]. By 1988, they grew Waterbed City to $35 million in annual sales.[3]
In 1989, the demand for waterbeds had decreased enough to make Kevin Charles reassess his business model. In 1990, he introduced innerspring bedding, and in 1994 CITY Furniture was born, offering high-quality furniture options for every room in the home.[5]
Kevin Charles Koenig died on November 21, 2001 at the age of 54. His brother and business partner, Keith Koenig is the current CEO of CITY Furniture. Keith’s son, Andrew Koenig, is the current President of CITY Furniture. Keith and Andrew continue Kevin's legacy through CITY Furniture’s culture of continuous improvement,[6] community involvement, social responsibility,[7] carbon neutral business practices, and retail innovation. [8]
GROWTH | LOCATIONS[edit]
Since opening its doors in 1971 as Waterbed City, CITY Furniture has grown to 21 retail showrooms and 14 licensed Ashley HomeStore locations throughout Florida. [1]
Timeline of notable dates:[edit]
- 1971 – First Waterbed City opened in Ft Lauderdale[5]
- 1990 – Introduction of innerspring mattresses[9]
- 1994 – Waterbed City rebranded to CITY Furniture [5]
- 2001 – First 660,000 square foot warehouse & corporate headquarters built in Tamarac[5]
- 2002 – Introduction of Kevin Charles fine upholstered furniture[10]
- Same-day delivery introduced
- 2003 – Awarded Ernst & Young Florida Entrepreneur of the Year award in the retail category[11]
- 2004 – 20 acre expansion of corporate headquarters/distribution center [8]
- Partnership with Ashley HomeStore [8]
- 2006 - Introduction of interior design services[12]
- 2007 – Andrew Koenig joins CITY Furniture[13]
- 2009 – Introduction of memory foam mattresses
- 2011 – First CITY Furniture/Ashley HomeStore retail complex opened in Boca Raton[14]
- 2013 – Introduction of ecommerce web sales[15]
- CITY Furniture’s first “Green” store built to achieve the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification[16]
- 2014 – Kaizen strategy introduced to eliminate waste & streamline operations[15]
- 2015 – First ranking on NAFA’s Top 50 Greenest Fleets award - #14[18]
- 2018 - Purchased 5 Tesla semi-electric delivery trucks[19]
- National Leadership Industry Award from EPA’s Southeast Diesel Collaborative[20]
- 2019 – Announcement of CITY’s 5% Giving Pledge[21]
- 2020 – Broke records for the U.S. furniture industry’s most eco-friendly retail space, now operating eight LEED-certified “green” showrooms [7]
CITY Furniture’s stores focus on an intuitive presentation of products allowing customers to shop by style. The new floorplans also offer in-store wine bars and craft beers to extend showroom browsing time. [19]
PRODUCT LINES | CITY SERVICES[edit]
CITY Furniture’s product lines include furniture options for every room. CITY Furniture manufactures its own exclusive collections of American made, hand-assembled fine upholstered furniture named after the company’s founder, Kevin Charles.[10] They also carry a range of other brands such as Bernhardt, Sealy, Cheers/ManWah, HTL, Legacy Classic, Universal, SLF, Pulaski, Casana, Idea Italia, and in bedding Serta, Sealy, Simmons, King Koil, Tempur-Pedic, Rest & Renew private label, and Kevin Charles mattresses. [24]
CITY Furniture offers same-day delivery 7 days a week which differentiates them from other furniture retailers. They also offer both interior design services and moving services, which are unique to the industry.
CITY Services -[edit]
- Free online design services – Create a digital design plan for free with the help of a virtual expert[25]
- CITY Interiors – Private, in-home design consultation, shopping assistance, and associated services [25]
- Model home staging – Allows home builders & realtors to stage homes for sale
- Apartment furniture packages – Furniture purchase, delivery & set up of the entire apartment
- Turn-key residential furniture packages – Concierge services help you customize, purchase, coordinate delivery & make your property rent-ready in 30 days
- Moving Services- Full-service, which includes packing, moving, and unloading your entire home
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT[edit]
CITY Furniture has been recognized for its 5% Giving Pledge, which commits at least 5 percent of annual profits to charities in the community. [21] Their objectives are detailed in an annual Social Responsibility Report (24) that outlines how CITY Furniture is meeting their goals to care for their associates, support the community, which organizations they have partnered with, and what was accomplished.[23]
CITY Furniture is committed to providing a healthy, inclusive work environment for their associates with excellent benefits. It has been recognized as a Healthiest Employer[26] and Top Places to Work [27]
CITY Furniture is a longtime supporter of Covenant House Florida, which serves South and Central Florida children and youth who are homeless or at risk.[14] In 2019, it made a $1 million commitment to the nonprofit agency.[28]
CITY Furniture is also active in charities including Habitat for Humanity [29] the American Heart Association [30], City of Hope [31], and the American Cancer Society [14] to name a few.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CITY Furniture converted their Mississippi-based upholstery manufacturing plant to produce and donate masks to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to help safeguard patients and families from COVID-19.[32]
CITY Furniture also donated outdoor furniture to give the healthcare professionals at Holy Cross Health a “getaway” where stressed employees can take breaks in the fresh air.[33]
ECO-FRIENDLINESS[edit]
A large part of CITY Furniture’s annual Corporate Responsibility Report describes its eco-friendly business practices, most notably the 2040 Green Promise [34] which is a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality through green practices in their showrooms, warehouses, offices, delivery fleet, and large-scale recycling initiatives by the year 2040.[20]
As of 2021, CITY Furniture is running 100% of its delivery fleet on natural gas, reducing greenhouse emissions by 45 percent. [7] Since the program started in 2014, the clean-running CNG fleet has run for more than 12 million miles, with 47% fewer emissions. CITY Furniture has also ordered five new Tesla semi-electric trucks [22]
CITY Furniture has earned honors including Top 50 Greenest Fleets in the U.S. each year since 2015, Clean Cities Coalition Awards[35], Ocoee Energy Efficiency Award [36] and the 2018 national Industry Leadership Award from the Southeast Diesel Collaborative, part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program [22] dedicated to reduce the nation’s dependence on imported oil.
CITY Furniture is a Top Scorer on the Wood Furniture Scorecard released by the Sustainable Furnishings Council in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation for their eco-friendly home furnishings made from FSC® certified, 100% reclaimed wood, and Oeko-Tex® certified private label sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers.[37]
CITY Furniture broke records for the U.S. furniture industry’s most eco-friendly retail space, operating eight LEED-certified “green” showrooms as of 2021, with 2 more on the way.[7] Their objective is to run their showrooms on renewable energy by 2040 [20]
CITY Furniture is one of the first furniture retailers to subscribe to FPL’s Solar Together program, which is designed to create large-scale community solar and 20 new solar power plants by mid-2021. By their estimate, CITY Furniture’s 500 kilowatt commitment will be enough to power three showrooms completely off-grid.[38]
All new CITY Furniture stores will be designed in “Generation 3” style, to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, with features such as natural wood and stone finishes, LED lighting and the use of drip irrigation and dual-flush toilets and low-flow urinals, among other things [24]
CITY Furniture’s large-scale recycling program recycles 98% of its operational waste stream. Each year, their state-of-the-art recycling centers located at their south Florida headquarters and in Ocoee, FL condense 5.5 million pounds of cardboard and 500,000 pounds of plastic and Styrofoam. [22]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Carrying the torch". www.bizjournals.com. 2021-03-18. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 "City Furniture plans for new distribution center - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Benjamin, Jody A. (2001-11-23). "KEVIN KOENIG, 54, CITY FURNITURE FOUNDER". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Schulman, Ellen Crane. "Keith and Doreen Koenig - City Furniture". duomagazine. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Engel, Clint (2001-12-03). "From waterbeds to major store: Florida's Kevin Koenig dies at 54 - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Russell, Thomas (2020-12-21). "Profile in Leadership: Keith Koenig, CEO at City Furniture - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Corporate Social Responsibility". Furniture World Magazine. 2021-03-20. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lunsford, Darcie (2003-12-22). "City Furniture expanding, opening Ashley stores". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 "From waterbeds to full-line powerhouse - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. 2002-03-04. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Kevin Charles Fine Upholstery increasing furniture production in New Albany, creating 30 jobs | Mississippi Development Authority". mississippi.org. 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "City Furniture wins E&Y honor". www.bizjournals.com. 2003-06-23. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "City Furniture brings design to masses - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. 2006-02-27. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Russell, Thomas (2020-12-21). "Profile in Leadership: Keith Koenig, CEO at City Furniture - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "City Furniture opens dual-branded store with Ashley HomeStore". Home Furnishings Association. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Ampel, Celia (2014-08-03). "City Furniture's 'leap of faith' laid groundwork for expansion". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ "City's green HomeStore to open in early 2013 - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. 2012-08-16. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Furniture Retailer Converts Delivery Fleet to Compressed Natural Gas". Fleet News Daily. 2014-04-18. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ "NAFA Fleet Management Association". www.nafa.org. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "New City Furniture logo represents other ways it is adapting, changing - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "City Furniture plans to become carbon neutral by 2040 - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "City Furniture Commits to Donate Five Percent of Annual Profits to Charities". www.businesswire.com. 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 "City Furniture makes 'Green Promise'". Home Accents Today. 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Clough, Alexandra (2020-02-19). "City Furniture's Koenig leads retailer with eyes on community, environment". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 24.0 24.1 "City Furniture to invest $17.5 million in expansion - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 "City Furniture brings design to masses - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. 2006-02-27. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Cukier, Eileen (2020-06-19). "2020 Healthiest Employers: City Furniture initiatives boost health, lower treatment costs". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Alcocer, Alonso (2020-09-18). "South Florida Top Workplaces 2020". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "City Furniture Announces One Million Dollar Donation in Support of Youth Overcoming Homelessness in Florida". www.covenanthouse.org. 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Habitat for Humanity receives City support - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ "City Furniture Announces $25,000 Fundraising Match In Support of Broward's 2019 American Heart Association Heart Walk - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ "City bowlers raise $55K for City of Hope - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ Duffy, Abigail (2020-04-04). "City Furniture Donates 30,000 Masks to Nicklaus Children's Hospital". Florida Design. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ "Holy Cross Health, City Furniture Team Up to Deliver Haven for COVID-Stressed Healthcare Colleagues - Furniture Today". www.furnituretoday.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ "2019 Corporate Social Responsibility Annual Report" (PDF). Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "City Furniture pledges to become carbon neutral by 2040 - NS Energy". Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ "NewsLink - Florida Public Service Commission". www.psc.state.fl.us. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2021-06-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Sustainable Furnishings Council | Promoting healthy environments inside & outside". sustainablefurnishings.org. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
- ↑ "City Furniture Secures 500kW of Solar Power in FPL's New SolarTogether Initiative". Furniture World Magazine. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
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