Donald A. Belgrad

(b. 1939)

Don Belgrad is known as the epitome of diplomacy, loyalty and unselfish service. He works tirelessly for industry and philanthropic causes, showing compassion for others, a belief in building strong relationships, insistence on great customer service, and a commitment to creating a corporate culture that breeds corporate and personal success.

Except for a two-year stint selling Honeywell large frame computers just after college, he spent his entire career at Schnadig International Corp., joining the company, founded by his father-in-law, Lawrence K. Schnadig, as private brands liaison to Sears, Roebuck & Co. Through the years, Mr. Belgrad would hold many positions until becoming Chairman and now Chairman Emeritus. During his tenure, he built Schnadig into the largest family-owned producer of upholstery in the United States, bought a table factory in order to introduce correlated upholstery and occasional groups, and added case goods presented as correlated living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. He quickly recognized the global manufacturing trend and pioneered the move of production to Taiwan and China where he established a wholly owned subsidiary, Schnadig Ltd., to ensure quality and production control, and administration of the company’s off-shore supply chain. In January 2009, he orchestrated the sale of Schnadig to Markor International Furniture.

Esteemed throughout the industry, Mr. Belgrad considers his single greatest accomplishment to be leading the industry effort to consolidate the Northern and Southern Furniture Manufacturer’s Association into what is now known as the American Home Furnishings Association. In 2002, he was honored with the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association Pillar of the Industry Award and in 2006 he received the President’s Award for service to the industry from the Greater Midwest Home Furnishings Representatives Association. He has served as president and chairman of the board of the National Association of Furniture Manufacturers, on the board of the Home Furnishings Council and on the board of governors of the Southern Furniture Market Center. He has served two terms as president of the board of the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation where he lead strategic planning that will result in the publication of all oral histories, the establishment of and plans for an extensive website, and the launch of the long term initiative to research and write a comprehensive history of the American furniture industry for future generations.

Mr. Belgrad’s commitment to the industry is matched only by his equally impressive dedication to helping others. He was a director of the Powell Company and has received the City of Hope Humanitarian Award and the National Conference for Community and Justice Humanitarian Award. Mr. Belgrad is a director of the Scholarship and Guidance Association Youth & Family Services. He helped found the Roseland Children’s Initiative and has served on the boards of Chicago Youth Centers, the American Jewish Committee and the Medical Research Institute Council of Michael Reese Hospital. His personal generosity is perhaps best exemplified by his contribution of time as an involved mentor to a troubled youth through high school, college and now as a productive and successful adult.

George Alexander Bernhardt

(b. 1943)

Beloved by employees and respected throughout the community and industry for his integrity, George Alexander “Alex” Bernhardt has led Bernhardt Furniture Company to its position as an award-winning design leader with an impeccable reputation for the highest quality residential and contract furniture. Through his emphasis on excellent design, innovative partnering with Asian manufacturers, lean manufacturing techniques and environmental sustainability, Mr. Bernhardt’s positive influence has helped shaped the furniture industry.

During the past 46 years, including 30 as CEO, Mr. Bernhardt has worked in virtually every position at Bernhardt. He has quadrupled the size of the business founded by his grandfather in 1889, making Bernhardt the largest high-end furniture company in the United States. Under his direction, Bernhardt has won nine Pinnacle awards and 32 Best of Neocon awards. The company also was among the first of American manufacturers to import parts and later fully made furniture from Asia, a strategic move that became the industry model for furniture outsourcing.

In 2000, Mr. Bernhardt received the American Furniture Manufacturers Association (AFMA) Distinguished Service Award, and in 2002, the Anti-Defamation League’s Humanitarian Award. As president of the Southern Furniture Manufacturers Association in 1982, Mr. Bernhardt led a merger with the National Association of Furniture Manufacturers to create a strong national organization, the AFMA. He has served as president of the International Home Furnishings Marketing Association and in various capacities with the American Home Furnishings Alliance, Furniture Foundation Inc., FurnPac, the International Home Furnishings Center Market Advisory Board, the 3-M Furniture and Fabric Industry Center Advisory Council, the Dallas Market Center Board of Governors, and the Atlanta Home Furnishings Mart Board of Governors. Mr. Bernhardt has held board seats on Fortune 500 companies and served North Carolina on several governor’s advisory boards, including the N.C. Business Council of Management and Development Inc. and the N.C. Governor’s Air Transport Advisory Committee. He has been a director of Duke Energy since 1991 and was elected chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Charlotte branch.

Mr. Bernhardt, an Eagle Scout, is dedicated to compassionate, hands-on stewardship. He has served as an elder in the Presbyterian Church and created the Bernhardt Furniture Foundation to support the local community, which lost thousands of jobs after 2008. Mr. Bernhardt is chairman of the N.C. chapter of The Nature Conservancy and is involved in several environmental groups. He also works diligently for education, founding a 5-star daycare center, providing scholarships for single parents, serving as a director for Communities in Schools, and serving as a trustee for several colleges and universities, including his alma mater, Davidson College. The Anne and Alex Bernhardt Foundation provides support to a free medical clinic and a center for abused children. Other service includes the North Carolina Community Foundation, Catawba Valley Community Foundation, Caldwell United Way, the Morganton/Lenoir Airport Authority, Fort Defiance Inc., Lenoir Downtown Association, Lenoir Little Theater Association, Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Caldwell 20/20, and Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce.

Donald H. Flanders, Sr.

(b. 1924)

During the past 60 years Donald H. “Don” Flanders has built two successful careers in the furniture industry, becoming a leader in both the case goods and casual fields. A World War II veteran, he has placed a focus on product quality, innovation and superior customer service at both Flanders Manufacturing Company and at Lloyd/Flanders, where he is still chairman. His success in business, his dedication to family and his tireless community service make him a role model for anyone seeking a balanced life.

Mr. Flanders began his furniture career as a cost accountant in 1947. In 1954, he and his wife, Phala, founded Flanders Manufacturing Company with just two employees. When Mr. Flanders sold the company in 1969 to become part of Riverside Furniture Corporation, it had more than 350 employees and was one of the largest case goods firms in the Southwest. In 1982, Mr. Flanders bought the assets of the Lloyd division of Heywood Wakefield Company and founded Lloyd/Flanders, a producer of Lloyd Loom wicker and woven vinyl for indoor and outdoor use. Since then, Mr. Flanders has taken woven outdoor furnishings from a minor part of the casual furniture market to one of the backbone categories in the industry. In awards presented by casual furniture retailers, the company routinely wins Manufacturer of the Year in woven products and also has been the overall winner several times.

A champion of both the case goods and casual furniture industries, Mr. Flanders has served as president of the Southwestern Furniture Manufacturers Association (SWFMA) and as chairman of the board of governors of the Dallas Market Center. He was a director of the Summer and Casual Furniture Manufacturers Association (SCFMA) for 12 years. He served in numerous executive positions, including president and chairman, and was one of the first recipients of the SCFMA Lifetime Achievement Award. He served on the District Export Council for the Department of Commerce, as a director of the Associated Industries of Arkansas, and as founding president of the Manufacturers Executive Association in Fort Smith. In the early 1980s, Mr. Flanders served as executive director of the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission, as a member of the state Labor Board, and as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet. In 1986, he was a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business. He also has served on the boards of several banks and other corporations.

Mr. Flanders’ dedication to the Boy Scouts of America started when he was a Cub Scout in 1933. He earned his Eagle in 1941, and as an adult, has served on the local, regional, national, and international levels and won numerous awards. He is one of only 674 people since 1926 to be awarded the Silver Buffalo Award and one of even fewer to receive the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, and the first from his state to receive each. Mr. Flanders also has been a tireless champion of education, serving on the boards of several institutions, including the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, where the Don and Phala Flanders Business Center was dedicated in 1993. A few of his many other leadership efforts include United Way, First Methodist Church, Sparks Regional Medical Center, Fort Smith Water and Sewer Commission, Fort Smith Community Foundation, and the Arkansas Sesquicentennial Commission.

John C. Portman, Jr.

(b. 1924)

During an illustrious career spanning more than half a century, John C. Portman, Jr. has helped transform the home furnishings industry, as well as the Atlanta skyline. Mr. Portman is founder and chairman of AMC Inc. and AmericasMart Atlanta, its principal asset. The more than 7 million-square-foot AmericasMart complex houses one of the world’s largest collections of home furnishings, area rug, gift, and apparel showrooms, hosting 19 wholesale markets annually. Portman’s 50-year-old Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC) is among the most successful design centers in the United States. Mr. Portman also leads John Portman & Associates, the architectural firm he founded in 1954, and Portman Holdings, a global design and development entity.

As a young architect, Mr. Portman launched a furniture trade show in a small section of a downtown Atlanta parking garage in 1957. From that grew the Atlanta Merchandise Mart in 1961 and, subsequently, the Atlanta Market Center and AmericasMart Atlanta. With his trade mart career born in the furniture industry, Mr. Portman has continually advanced the home furnishings manufacturing, wholesale and retail communities. In addition to the highly successful AmericasMart Atlanta markets, Portman promotes the industry through global marketing efforts, the advancement of new product concepts, design education symposia, and his own designs.

Mr. Portman is widely recognized as the chief architect of the city of Atlanta’s economic and civic development and growth from the second half of the 20th century through today. Since 1961, he has developed more than 20 million square feet of trade mart, office and hotel facilities in the city’s core and defined its central business district with landmark structures. He designed the first downtown Atlanta Master Plan with Central Atlanta Progress. He also led the master plan for the city’s rapid-rail system and served as chairman of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).

Mr. Portman’s heritage of giving – personally, professionally, philanthropically and socially – is focused on creating environments designed to bring people together for the greater good. He was among the leadership that created the Georgia World Congress Center. He also founded Action Forum, the city’s first business leadership body addressing civil rights, and he integrated the Top of the Mart in 1961, creating Atlanta’s first restaurant open to black and white patrons. He is a major benefactor to numerous institutions, including the Lovett School, Georgia Tech, Piedmont Hospital, and the High Museum of Art. He is founder of the World Trade Club in Atlanta and served as honorary consul of Denmark. Mr. Portman’s work is included in architecture and design curricula at universities in the U.S and abroad.

Mr. Portman’s dedication to the continuing growth of AmericasMart and ADAC signals his long-term support and advocacy of the furniture industry across its spectrum of styles and price points.

Gordon Segal

(b. 1938)

With a simple good idea, a strong work ethic, and a high level of integrity, Gordon Segal and his wife, Carole, built Crate and Barrel into an internationally renowned home furnishings business. From one store in Chicago to over 100 stores in the United States, Canada and Dubai, Crate and Barrel today employs more than 7,000 associates and supports a vendor network of over 1,100 companies.

In 1962, fresh out of college, the Segals decided the affordable, well-designed tableware they had seen abroad should be available in the United States. They borrowed $17,000 and opened their first store in an abandoned elevator factory in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. With the arrival of their first shipment from Europe and little cash to spare, the Segals displayed their wares on the crates and barrels in which they arrived, inspiring both the store name and its distinctive concept. Ever an innovator, Crate and Barrel was one of the first companies to buy directly from factories in Europe. Mr. Segal also introduced a new method of visual and product merchandising, first to housewares and then to furniture, which the company added in 1989 with the same meticulous attention to design integrity.

The company is known for creating a unique class and style of furniture that has been emulated throughout the industry and has even been referred to as “the Crate and Barrel look”. For decades, it has been ranked as one of the top 20 furniture stores and one of the nation’s top three housewares specialty stores.

Mr. Segal focused on slow growth and promoting associates from within. A key component to his success is the example he set for his employees, which inspired his team to work passionately and honestly, while providing the highest level of customer service. Mr. Segal believes continuity builds trust, thus Crate and Barrel is committed to standing behind its product and service.

A former chairman of the National Retail Federation, Mr. Segal was inducted into the World Retail Congress’ Hall of Fame in 2007. Other awards include the Retailing Hall of Fame at Texas A & M, the Cooper-Hewitt’s Design Patron Award, House Beautiful magazine’s Giant of Design designation, and the National Retail Federation Gold Medal Award. He also is scheduled to judge at the NFTE Citywide Business Plan Competition.

His philanthropic projects include the establishment of the Segal Design Institute at Northwestern University, where he serves as a trustee. Service on other boards includes The Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Chicago Medical Center, the Chicago History Museum, Window to the World Communications Inc., and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mr. Segal also has mentored many young entrepreneurs through the years and frequently speaks to students at Northwestern and local high schools.

Roy B. Unger

(b. 1921 d. 2004)

Known as “The Father of the Modern Bedding Era” and the industry’s “Ambassador” of Sleep, Roy B. Unger played a major role in the rise of bedding companies Sealy and Serta. After his retirement, he served as a consultant to Simmons, making him one of the few executives to play key roles at each of the industry’s three largest producers. Mr. Unger, whose remarkable career spanned more than half a century, continued to advocate for the bedding industry until his death at age 83.

Mr. Unger got his start as a sales manager at Sealy’s Ohio licensee in 1948 and rose through the ranks to become senior vice president, sales and marketing. While at Sealy, he played an important role in the Posturepedic brand’s ascent to prominence. He also was influential in the development of Sealy’s international business. He developed Sealy’s marketing program during its formative years and helped the company become the nation’s largest bedding company. In 1981, Mr. Unger joined Serta as president and CEO. During his tenure, Mr. Unger helped build Serta’s flagship Perfect Sleeper brand, and Serta grew from the third largest to second largest U.S. bedding company. Important achievements included reworking Serta’s product line and specifications, consolidating licensee plants, doubling manufacturing efficiencies, and massively increasing profitability. Although Mr. Unger retired in 1989, core product specifications he created are still being used at Serta today. After his retirement, he served five years as a consultant to Simmons, where he played a key role in the development of its BackCare brand.

Known for his approachability, as well as his vast knowledge of the bedding business, Mr. Unger was the “go-to” person for many in the industry. He was respected for his innovative ideas, utmost integrity and unwavering ethical standards. He spearheaded the development of continuous wire innersprings and was among the first in the industry to use convoluted foam, knit fabric mattress covers, and imported Belgian damasks. He also developed an early warning financial tracking system. Mr. Unger’s contributions helped make the bedding industry more stable and more profitable while giving consumers better products.

Mr. Unger was one of the founders of the Better Sleep Council, which promotes the importance of good bedding to a good night’s sleep. He was instrumental in bringing retailers into the Better Sleep Council. As chairman emeritus for 14 years, he remained active with the council until his death. He also served as president and chairman of the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) and as chairman of ISPA’s statistical committee. The ISPA honored Mr. Unger with two of its highest awards, the Robert MacMorran Memorial Award in 1986 and the Award for Exceptional Service in 1990.

Each year, Mr. Unger spent part of his vacation on continuing education, often attending courses at his alma mater, Cornell University. As a generous contributor to Cornell and to his synagogue, he was dedicated to teaching many others to become business leaders and executives at some of the largest companies in the industry.

Donald A. Belgrad

(b. 1939)

Don Belgrad is known as the epitome of diplomacy, loyalty and unselfish service. He works tirelessly for industry and philanthropic causes, showing compassion for others, a belief in building strong relationships, insistence on great customer service, and a commitment to creating a corporate culture that breeds corporate and personal success.

Except for a two-year stint selling Honeywell large frame computers just after college, he spent his entire career at Schnadig International Corp., joining the company, founded by his father-in-law, Lawrence K. Schnadig, as private brands liaison to Sears, Roebuck & Co. Through the years, Mr. Belgrad would hold many positions until becoming Chairman and now Chairman Emeritus. During his tenure, he built Schnadig into the largest family-owned producer of upholstery in the United States, bought a table factory in order to introduce correlated upholstery and occasional groups, and added case goods presented as correlated living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. He quickly recognized the global manufacturing trend and pioneered the move of production to Taiwan and China where he established a wholly owned subsidiary, Schnadig Ltd., to ensure quality and production control, and administration of the company’s off-shore supply chain. In January 2009, he orchestrated the sale of Schnadig to Markor International Furniture.

Esteemed throughout the industry, Mr. Belgrad considers his single greatest accomplishment to be leading the industry effort to consolidate the Northern and Southern Furniture Manufacturer’s Association into what is now known as the American Home Furnishings Association. In 2002, he was honored with the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association Pillar of the Industry Award and in 2006 he received the President’s Award for service to the industry from the Greater Midwest Home Furnishings Representatives Association. He has served as president and chairman of the board of the National Association of Furniture Manufacturers, on the board of the Home Furnishings Council and on the board of governors of the Southern Furniture Market Center. He has served two terms as president of the board of the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation where he lead strategic planning that will result in the publication of all oral histories, the establishment of and plans for an extensive website, and the launch of the long term initiative to research and write a comprehensive history of the American furniture industry for future generations.

Mr. Belgrad’s commitment to the industry is matched only by his equally impressive dedication to helping others. He was a director of the Powell Company and has received the City of Hope Humanitarian Award and the National Conference for Community and Justice Humanitarian Award. Mr. Belgrad is a director of the Scholarship and Guidance Association Youth & Family Services. He helped found the Roseland Children’s Initiative and has served on the boards of Chicago Youth Centers, the American Jewish Committee and the Medical Research Institute Council of Michael Reese Hospital. His personal generosity is perhaps best exemplified by his contribution of time as an involved mentor to a troubled youth through high school, college and now as a productive and successful adult.

George Alexander Bernhardt

(b. 1943)

Beloved by employees and respected throughout the community and industry for his integrity, George Alexander “Alex” Bernhardt has led Bernhardt Furniture Company to its position as an award-winning design leader with an impeccable reputation for the highest quality residential and contract furniture. Through his emphasis on excellent design, innovative partnering with Asian manufacturers, lean manufacturing techniques and environmental sustainability, Mr. Bernhardt’s positive influence has helped shaped the furniture industry.

During the past 46 years, including 30 as CEO, Mr. Bernhardt has worked in virtually every position at Bernhardt. He has quadrupled the size of the business founded by his grandfather in 1889, making Bernhardt the largest high-end furniture company in the United States. Under his direction, Bernhardt has won nine Pinnacle awards and 32 Best of Neocon awards. The company also was among the first of American manufacturers to import parts and later fully made furniture from Asia, a strategic move that became the industry model for furniture outsourcing.

In 2000, Mr. Bernhardt received the American Furniture Manufacturers Association (AFMA) Distinguished Service Award, and in 2002, the Anti-Defamation League’s Humanitarian Award. As president of the Southern Furniture Manufacturers Association in 1982, Mr. Bernhardt led a merger with the National Association of Furniture Manufacturers to create a strong national organization, the AFMA. He has served as president of the International Home Furnishings Marketing Association and in various capacities with the American Home Furnishings Alliance, Furniture Foundation Inc., FurnPac, the International Home Furnishings Center Market Advisory Board, the 3-M Furniture and Fabric Industry Center Advisory Council, the Dallas Market Center Board of Governors, and the Atlanta Home Furnishings Mart Board of Governors. Mr. Bernhardt has held board seats on Fortune 500 companies and served North Carolina on several governor’s advisory boards, including the N.C. Business Council of Management and Development Inc. and the N.C. Governor’s Air Transport Advisory Committee. He has been a director of Duke Energy since 1991 and was elected chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Charlotte branch.

Mr. Bernhardt, an Eagle Scout, is dedicated to compassionate, hands-on stewardship. He has served as an elder in the Presbyterian Church and created the Bernhardt Furniture Foundation to support the local community, which lost thousands of jobs after 2008. Mr. Bernhardt is chairman of the N.C. chapter of The Nature Conservancy and is involved in several environmental groups. He also works diligently for education, founding a 5-star daycare center, providing scholarships for single parents, serving as a director for Communities in Schools, and serving as a trustee for several colleges and universities, including his alma mater, Davidson College. The Anne and Alex Bernhardt Foundation provides support to a free medical clinic and a center for abused children. Other service includes the North Carolina Community Foundation, Catawba Valley Community Foundation, Caldwell United Way, the Morganton/Lenoir Airport Authority, Fort Defiance Inc., Lenoir Downtown Association, Lenoir Little Theater Association, Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Caldwell 20/20, and Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce.

Gordon Segal

(b. 1938)

With a simple good idea, a strong work ethic, and a high level of integrity, Gordon Segal and his wife, Carole, built Crate and Barrel into an internationally renowned home furnishings business. From one store in Chicago to over 100 stores in the United States, Canada and Dubai, Crate and Barrel today employs more than 7,000 associates and supports a vendor network of over 1,100 companies.

In 1962, fresh out of college, the Segals decided the affordable, well-designed tableware they had seen abroad should be available in the United States. They borrowed $17,000 and opened their first store in an abandoned elevator factory in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. With the arrival of their first shipment from Europe and little cash to spare, the Segals displayed their wares on the crates and barrels in which they arrived, inspiring both the store name and its distinctive concept. Ever an innovator, Crate and Barrel was one of the first companies to buy directly from factories in Europe. Mr. Segal also introduced a new method of visual and product merchandising, first to housewares and then to furniture, which the company added in 1989 with the same meticulous attention to design integrity.

The company is known for creating a unique class and style of furniture that has been emulated throughout the industry and has even been referred to as “the Crate and Barrel look”. For decades, it has been ranked as one of the top 20 furniture stores and one of the nation’s top three housewares specialty stores.

Mr. Segal focused on slow growth and promoting associates from within. A key component to his success is the example he set for his employees, which inspired his team to work passionately and honestly, while providing the highest level of customer service. Mr. Segal believes continuity builds trust, thus Crate and Barrel is committed to standing behind its product and service.

A former chairman of the National Retail Federation, Mr. Segal was inducted into the World Retail Congress’ Hall of Fame in 2007. Other awards include the Retailing Hall of Fame at Texas A & M, the Cooper-Hewitt’s Design Patron Award, House Beautiful magazine’s Giant of Design designation, and the National Retail Federation Gold Medal Award. He also is scheduled to judge at the NFTE Citywide Business Plan Competition.

His philanthropic projects include the establishment of the Segal Design Institute at Northwestern University, where he serves as a trustee. Service on other boards includes The Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Chicago Medical Center, the Chicago History Museum, Window to the World Communications Inc., and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mr. Segal also has mentored many young entrepreneurs through the years and frequently speaks to students at Northwestern and local high schools.