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Howard G. Haas

(b. 1924)

A man of vision, wisdom, discipline and integrity, Howard G. Haas led Sealy Inc. to unprecedented growth and renown in the home furnishings industry. During his 19-year-tenure as president, CEO and director of Sealy Inc., company revenues increased from $32 million to more than $550 million without the acquisition of a competitor or supplier. Mr. Haas took Sealy’s profits from slightly better than break-even to one of the highest returns in the industry. Because of the strong legacy built through his marketing expertise, Sealy Posturepedic continues to be among the most recognizable brands in the industry.

Mr. Haas integrated a group of 34 independent Sealy licensees into a unified entity, providing efficient services. He developed information technology systems to lower the level of raw materials and reduce the need for finished goods in factories, resulting in the best return on capital in the bedding industry. A committee to oversee manufacturing techniques in all company factories ensured there was no product variation and improved operations to the point that products could be delivered to customers in as little as a single day. His first in-store display showcased Posturepedic bedding and was among the first in the industry to envision the potential of sleep shops. Under Mr. Haas’ leadership, Sealy also was the first bedding company to run national television advertising.

A graduate of the University of Michigan, where he was honored as a Goldstein Scholar, Mr. Haas joined Sealy in 1956 as sales manager. He was promoted to vice president of marketing in 1960 and to president in 1965. His exceptional leadership skills attracted top talent and he instilled in them the pride of being No. 1 and to share best practices. Three that he mentored currently lead Simmons, Sealy and Serta.

After retiring from Sealy in 1986, Mr. Haas joined the faculty of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he served as an adjunct professor of strategic management. Teaching MBA classes from 1988 to 2009, he specialized in classes on the practice of leadership and strategy in business with a goal “to integrate theory with practice and focus not just on doing things right…but doing the right things.” He organized and taught the university’s first graduate-level course on leadership, which was recognized by CEO Magazine. Among his published work is “The Leader Within,” a book written with Bob Tamarkin, which received wide critical acclaim and was on the best-seller list. Mr. Haas is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Strategic Management Education and a columnist for Fairchild Publications. He also has served as chairman of the board of Sealy Sleep Products Ltd. in Canada and chairman of Broadcast International.

A first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, Mr. Haas flew more than 50 missions over Axis-occupied Europe, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. Active in the community, he served as president of the Orchestra of Illinois and on the school board for the Glencoe School System. He also was a member of the Print and Drawing Committee of the Art Institute of Chicago, on the board of directors for the Jewish Children’s Bureau, and a member of the Visiting Committee of Chicago’s Oriental Institute.

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Kevin Michael O’Connor

(b. 1945)

Working his way up from sales representative to president of two leading furniture companies, Kevin O’Connor launched Legacy Classic Furniture in 1999. Partnering with Samuel Kuo of Samson Holding, Mr. O’Connor developed a new business model for Legacy that enabled customers to mix a variety of products and styles on a direct-container basis with door-to-door service from China, backed by a domestic warehouse for “fill-in purchases” and parts. This revolutionary plan enables independent retailers to affordably source smaller quantities of imported products and has been widely adopted by other companies throughout the industry.

Mr. O’Connor started his career in 1969 as a sales representative with Ethan Allen. He served as vice president of sales for Singer, Burlington and Lea Inds., before joining importer Hyundai Furniture as president in the 1980s, where he was deeply involved in product development. In 1993, he was named president of Master Design, growing the company’s sales from $50 million to $100 million in five years. In 2006 Mr. O’Connor was appointed president and CEO of Samson Marketing, which includes Legacy Classic and Universal Furniture. Its business model for stocking inventory in automated storage and retrieval system warehouses in China and High Point, N.C. has enabled Legacy to grow to more than $200 million in annual sales in less than 10 years.

With a long track record of service to the furniture industry, he has served as chairman of the High Point Market Authority since 2007 as well as serving through the years on the boards and committees of the American Furniture Hall of Fame, the American Home Furnishings Alliance and the High Point Chamber of Commerce. In an effort to strengthen the High Point Market, Mr. O’Connor was instrumental in leading a group of 20-plus manufacturers in reinvigorating Premarket, providing top retailers a preview prior to the formal market debut. Mr. O’Connor has been honored with the Jerry Ganz Memorial Award from the Greater New York Home Furnishings Assn., the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award and the Pillar of the Industry Award from the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association.

Mr. O’Connor has made time to mentor many young executives, who note that his keen eye for design and his deep understanding of production make him a great “sounding board” for his teams. He is viewed by colleagues and competitors alike as a person of high moral character, working with great passion and commitment.

In addition to his church, St. Pius X, and Seton Hall University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1968, he is a longtime champion of the City of Hope, serving on the board and as chair for the 2012 Spirit of Life Dinner. The O’Connor family supports the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Raleigh, N.C., and he has served as a volunteer with the Senior PGA tournament in Kiawah, South Carolina, and the Wyndham Championship at the Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.

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Melvyn L. Wolff

(b. 1931)

Star Furniture Chairman Melvyn L. Wolff and his sister, Shirley Toomim, took a small family-owned, low-end, credit-oriented store and transformed it into one of the most successful retail furniture operations in the country. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, he built a dedicated team of associates who are committed to exemplary performance, strong leadership, market dominance and unwavering integrity.

Mr. Wolff joined Star Furniture in 1956 after graduating from the University of Houston and serving two years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Following the death of his father, the company’s co-founder who came to the United States after escaping a Russian work camp, he became president in 1962, buying out the remaining partners with his sister in 1964. Realizing that if they were to be successful, they had to separate Star from the competition, the store moved to a large freeway location and targeted a more affluent consumer. Their “Different by Design” strategy established Star as a destination for affordable style and superior service, with large, impressive displays that sold a lifestyle rather than a commodity. Growing to six locations in Houston and one each in San Antonio, Austin and Bryan-College Station, in 1995 Star was the 35th largest furniture retailer. When sold in 1997 to the Berkshire Hathaway investment group, Star became part of the fifth largest furniture group in the U.S.

Much of the Star success is attributed to its loyal customer base, with referrals and repeat business accounting for a large portion of its sales. Star has built a strong reputation for exemplary service, a track record maintained through quality assurance and incentive programs tied to performance, and customer satisfaction measures. Mr. Wolff has always led by example, challenging all Star associates to not just work hard, but work smart. He encourages individuals to grow and give back, providing opportunities for ongoing training and advancement. Throughout his career, Mr. Wolff has been an active contributor to the industry, chairing numerous committees of the National Home Furnishings Association, serving as Convention Chairman in 1994 and vice president of its executive committee, as well as serving on the Hall of Fame Board of Directors and its Legacy Board.

Following the sale of Star to Berkshire Hathaway, Mr. Wolff established the Melvyn and Cyvia Wolff Charitable Trust to support education for the underprivileged, healthcare research and other community efforts. The Trust endowed and founded the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston, ranked first in the nation by The Princeton Review of leading undergraduate entrepreneurship programs. The Trust also supports Kipp Academy, United Way, Ronald McDonald House, Texas Children’s Hospital, University of Texas Health Science Center, American Cancer Society and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Over the years, Mr. Wolff also has served as an officer or director on 14 community boards, including MD Anderson, Ronald McDonald House, American Cancer Society and the University of Houston President’s Council and Endowment Board. In addition, he has served as president of the Beth Israel Congregation and is the recipient of the Max Nathan and Samuel Karff awards. Other awards include the Trail Blazer Award from the American Cancer Society, American Heritage Award from the Anti-Defamation League, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Houston College of Business. He also served as an adjunct professor in the Jones School of Business at Rice University.

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Howard G. Haas

(b. 1924)

A man of vision, wisdom, discipline and integrity, Howard G. Haas led Sealy Inc. to unprecedented growth and renown in the home furnishings industry. During his 19-year-tenure as president, CEO and director of Sealy Inc., company revenues increased from $32 million to more than $550 million without the acquisition of a competitor or supplier. Mr. Haas took Sealy’s profits from slightly better than break-even to one of the highest returns in the industry. Because of the strong legacy built through his marketing expertise, Sealy Posturepedic continues to be among the most recognizable brands in the industry.

Mr. Haas integrated a group of 34 independent Sealy licensees into a unified entity, providing efficient services. He developed information technology systems to lower the level of raw materials and reduce the need for finished goods in factories, resulting in the best return on capital in the bedding industry. A committee to oversee manufacturing techniques in all company factories ensured there was no product variation and improved operations to the point that products could be delivered to customers in as little as a single day. His first in-store display showcased Posturepedic bedding and was among the first in the industry to envision the potential of sleep shops. Under Mr. Haas’ leadership, Sealy also was the first bedding company to run national television advertising.

A graduate of the University of Michigan, where he was honored as a Goldstein Scholar, Mr. Haas joined Sealy in 1956 as sales manager. He was promoted to vice president of marketing in 1960 and to president in 1965. His exceptional leadership skills attracted top talent and he instilled in them the pride of being No. 1 and to share best practices. Three that he mentored currently lead Simmons, Sealy and Serta.

After retiring from Sealy in 1986, Mr. Haas joined the faculty of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he served as an adjunct professor of strategic management. Teaching MBA classes from 1988 to 2009, he specialized in classes on the practice of leadership and strategy in business with a goal “to integrate theory with practice and focus not just on doing things right…but doing the right things.” He organized and taught the university’s first graduate-level course on leadership, which was recognized by CEO Magazine. Among his published work is “The Leader Within,” a book written with Bob Tamarkin, which received wide critical acclaim and was on the best-seller list. Mr. Haas is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Strategic Management Education and a columnist for Fairchild Publications. He also has served as chairman of the board of Sealy Sleep Products Ltd. in Canada and chairman of Broadcast International.

A first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, Mr. Haas flew more than 50 missions over Axis-occupied Europe, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. Active in the community, he served as president of the Orchestra of Illinois and on the school board for the Glencoe School System. He also was a member of the Print and Drawing Committee of the Art Institute of Chicago, on the board of directors for the Jewish Children’s Bureau, and a member of the Visiting Committee of Chicago’s Oriental Institute.

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Jena Goldman Hall

(b. 1944)

Jena Hall, president and CEO of Jena Hall Associates, is a recognized designer and business collaborator in the furniture industry. In addition to her Pinnacle award-winning furniture creations, she is known for applying her astute merchandising and marketing savvy to a diverse range of industry projects and categories.

Ms. Hall grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, where she developed her work ethic and passion for beautiful furnishings at an early age through her family’s gift and jewelry store. When the Dallas Trade Mart opened in 1957, her father took her out of school so she could go to the furniture market to see the latest styles. She launched her own firm, Jena Hall Associates, in 1972, specializing in space planning and interior design. High-profile projects have included the House Beautiful Kitchen of the Future and the restoration of the George Vanderbilt estate on Long Island.

In the 1980s, Ms. Hall entered the field of product development, designing new furniture lines and integrated merchandising and marketing strategies for brands including American Drew, Bassett, Broyhill, Ethan Allen and Pennsylvania House. With Casa Bique, she launched her first licensed collection of fully coordinated home furnishings — Jena Hall’s Inspirations from the Old Country — with thousands of SKUs covering 22 different product categories. She has developed licensed and private-label products for leading furniture producers and retailers, including Nichols & Stone; Johnston Casuals; DMI-Wynwood; Vanguard Furniture; JC Penney; Robb & Stucky; Bloomingdale’s; Macy’s; Bed, Bath & Beyond; Domain; Spiegel; Neiman Marcus; and Horchow.

In late 2003, Ms. Hall joined aspenhome, where she expanded the company’s product line and developed the brand into a household name, winning five Pinnacle design awards. Since 2010, she has worked with major initiatives, including the launch of the HGTV HOME brand, where she serves as design curator, and the recent introduction of Bassett’s HGTV collection. As a product designer, Ms. Hall is passionate about bringing features and functions formerly reserved for the interior design trade to the wider market of mainstream furniture. Starting in the 1980s, she began devising mix-and-match furniture solutions with innovative, multifunctional features that until then had been available only through custom and built-in sources. Her design hallmarks include the use of full-extension European drawer glides, concealed hinges and modular components — elements that are now industry standards. In addition, she was a pioneer of open-plan living spaces for her interior design clients, which led to the creation of new categories of mass-produced home products, such as furniture for great rooms and kitchen/hearth rooms.

Ms. Hall was the founding president of WithIt, the women’s leadership and development network, where she formed the Jena and Stephen Hall Scholarship Fund to support rising young talent in home furnishings. She has been a tireless advocate for the City of Hope since 1999 and serves today as National Home Furnishings Board president and co-chairman. She also gives her time to the Anti-Defamation League, the New York Chapter of the Jewish Federation, the American Society of Furniture Designers, and the High Point Market Authority Board — the first designer to be so appointed. Her work has earned her a number of awards, including the WithIt Founders Award and Lifetime Achievement Award, and the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award.

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Clement M. Lange Jr.

(b. 1935)

Starting in 1962 with a modest, five-person operation repairing furniture and truck seats in an old cannery building near Bretzville, Ind., co-founder Clement “Clem” Lange Jr. grew Best Chairs into one of the leading manufacturers of upholstered residential furniture. Today, the company, now known as Best Home Furnishings, employs nearly 1,000 people at five state-of-the-art facilities in southern Indiana, producing more than 4,000 chairs, recliners and sofas per day. He continues to serve in an advisory role as chairman of its Board of Directors.

Their motto during this 50th anniversary year, “our name says it all” conveys the company’s unwavering focus on producing high quality, strong value products and getting them to consumers faster than the competition. To achieve that goal, Mr. Lange embraced technology and implemented “lean” manufacturing practices long before that term was invented. In the late 1980s, when Best became the first furniture manufacturer to use IBM’s AS/400 computer system and BPCS manufacturing software, resulting in better inventory control and shorter lead times. He also launched the practice of offering more choices to consumers in terms of styles, options and covers. Under his leadership, the “custom-order/fast-delivery” business model got its start, an approach that has been adopted by many domestic upholstery producers to compete against imports. Mr. Lange’s visionary leadership led to Best being named Furniture/Today’s Supplier of the Year in 2010.

Raised on a family farm, Mr. Lange achieved his success through honest hard work, building a thriving business out of nothing after serving in the U.S. Army and working as an upholsterer. As he grew Best, he instilled in his four children — all of whom joined the company — the knowledge and work ethic that has allowed the business to remain a family-owned success story. Mr. Lange’s reputation for honesty, integrity and other strong values is beyond reproach. He is a gentleman who treats people fairly and is generous to a fault. Many of the long-time employees of Best speak of him as a father figure and are as loyally dedicated to him as he is to them.

Mr. Lange’s philanthropic activities can best be described as locally focused, quiet and significant. He and his wife, Mary, were the lead donors for the creation of the $5.2 million Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center at Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center in Jasper, Ind. They also were the lead donors to the Tri-County YMCA, contributing to the construction of a $3.1 million YMCA facility in Ferdinand, Ind. Other groups that have benefited from their generosity include the Forest Park High School football program; the Ferdinand Community Center; the Dubois County Community Foundation; the St. Henry, Holland and Ferdinand Volunteer Fire Departments; the St. Henry Catholic Church; Holland Park, Huntingburg Memorial Gym and Ferdinand’s 5th Street Park. He has served on the Board of Directors for Dubois County Bank/Old National Bank and is a member of the Vintage Car Rally Association, Hudson Club and Ferdinand American Legion. An avid collector and restorer of vintage automobiles, he is a passionate vintage car “rally racer” and a seven-time finisher of the “Great Race,” a transcontinental rally for pre-1960 era cars.

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Kevin Michael O’Connor

(b. 1945)

Working his way up from sales representative to president of two leading furniture companies, Kevin O’Connor launched Legacy Classic Furniture in 1999. Partnering with Samuel Kuo of Samson Holding, Mr. O’Connor developed a new business model for Legacy that enabled customers to mix a variety of products and styles on a direct-container basis with door-to-door service from China, backed by a domestic warehouse for “fill-in purchases” and parts. This revolutionary plan enables independent retailers to affordably source smaller quantities of imported products and has been widely adopted by other companies throughout the industry.

Mr. O’Connor started his career in 1969 as a sales representative with Ethan Allen. He served as vice president of sales for Singer, Burlington and Lea Inds., before joining importer Hyundai Furniture as president in the 1980s, where he was deeply involved in product development. In 1993, he was named president of Master Design, growing the company’s sales from $50 million to $100 million in five years. In 2006 Mr. O’Connor was appointed president and CEO of Samson Marketing, which includes Legacy Classic and Universal Furniture. Its business model for stocking inventory in automated storage and retrieval system warehouses in China and High Point, N.C. has enabled Legacy to grow to more than $200 million in annual sales in less than 10 years.

With a long track record of service to the furniture industry, he has served as chairman of the High Point Market Authority since 2007 as well as serving through the years on the boards and committees of the American Furniture Hall of Fame, the American Home Furnishings Alliance and the High Point Chamber of Commerce. In an effort to strengthen the High Point Market, Mr. O’Connor was instrumental in leading a group of 20-plus manufacturers in reinvigorating Premarket, providing top retailers a preview prior to the formal market debut. Mr. O’Connor has been honored with the Jerry Ganz Memorial Award from the Greater New York Home Furnishings Assn., the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award and the Pillar of the Industry Award from the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association.

Mr. O’Connor has made time to mentor many young executives, who note that his keen eye for design and his deep understanding of production make him a great “sounding board” for his teams. He is viewed by colleagues and competitors alike as a person of high moral character, working with great passion and commitment.

In addition to his church, St. Pius X, and Seton Hall University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1968, he is a longtime champion of the City of Hope, serving on the board and as chair for the 2012 Spirit of Life Dinner. The O’Connor family supports the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Raleigh, N.C., and he has served as a volunteer with the Senior PGA tournament in Kiawah, South Carolina, and the Wyndham Championship at the Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.

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Melvyn L. Wolff

(b. 1931)

Star Furniture Chairman Melvyn L. Wolff and his sister, Shirley Toomim, took a small family-owned, low-end, credit-oriented store and transformed it into one of the most successful retail furniture operations in the country. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, he built a dedicated team of associates who are committed to exemplary performance, strong leadership, market dominance and unwavering integrity.

Mr. Wolff joined Star Furniture in 1956 after graduating from the University of Houston and serving two years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Following the death of his father, the company’s co-founder who came to the United States after escaping a Russian work camp, he became president in 1962, buying out the remaining partners with his sister in 1964. Realizing that if they were to be successful, they had to separate Star from the competition, the store moved to a large freeway location and targeted a more affluent consumer. Their “Different by Design” strategy established Star as a destination for affordable style and superior service, with large, impressive displays that sold a lifestyle rather than a commodity. Growing to six locations in Houston and one each in San Antonio, Austin and Bryan-College Station, in 1995 Star was the 35th largest furniture retailer. When sold in 1997 to the Berkshire Hathaway investment group, Star became part of the fifth largest furniture group in the U.S.

Much of the Star success is attributed to its loyal customer base, with referrals and repeat business accounting for a large portion of its sales. Star has built a strong reputation for exemplary service, a track record maintained through quality assurance and incentive programs tied to performance, and customer satisfaction measures. Mr. Wolff has always led by example, challenging all Star associates to not just work hard, but work smart. He encourages individuals to grow and give back, providing opportunities for ongoing training and advancement. Throughout his career, Mr. Wolff has been an active contributor to the industry, chairing numerous committees of the National Home Furnishings Association, serving as Convention Chairman in 1994 and vice president of its executive committee, as well as serving on the Hall of Fame Board of Directors and its Legacy Board.

Following the sale of Star to Berkshire Hathaway, Mr. Wolff established the Melvyn and Cyvia Wolff Charitable Trust to support education for the underprivileged, healthcare research and other community efforts. The Trust endowed and founded the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston, ranked first in the nation by The Princeton Review of leading undergraduate entrepreneurship programs. The Trust also supports Kipp Academy, United Way, Ronald McDonald House, Texas Children’s Hospital, University of Texas Health Science Center, American Cancer Society and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Over the years, Mr. Wolff also has served as an officer or director on 14 community boards, including MD Anderson, Ronald McDonald House, American Cancer Society and the University of Houston President’s Council and Endowment Board. In addition, he has served as president of the Beth Israel Congregation and is the recipient of the Max Nathan and Samuel Karff awards. Other awards include the Trail Blazer Award from the American Cancer Society, American Heritage Award from the Anti-Defamation League, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Houston College of Business. He also served as an adjunct professor in the Jones School of Business at Rice University.

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Thomas E. Wright

(b. 1934)

Thomas E. Wright, co-founder and retired chairman of the board of Wright of Thomasville, began planning the development of his own printing company with his brother, the late Bill Wright, while the two were in junior high school in Cincinnati. Tom Wright spent summers working in businesses related to printing and graduated from Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) with a bachelor’s of science degree in printing management. They started their company in 1961 in Thomasville, N.C., with 700 square feet of space on Main Street and one customer, Capel Rugs. Today, Wright of Thomasville has five manufacturing facilities in the United States (four in Thomasville and one in Dalton, Ga.), a sourcing office in Hong Kong and a manufacturing facility in Shunde, China, serving customers around the globe.

The company now produces bedding labels, embroidered panels, tags, decorative marketing pillows and headboards, and foot protectors, as well as in-store display graphics, point of sale materials brochures, product catalogs and other branding products for upholstery and case goods companies. It also serves the carpet and floor coverings industry, and produces labeling for wine, distilled spirits, bourbon, vodka and moonshine. Wright of Thomasville was the first company to print a black-and-white photograph and later a four-color process image on a satin mattress label. These technological breakthroughs enabled their customers to more clearly develop brand names while building lifestyle stories for particular products. Over the course of his 50-year career, Mr. Wright and his sales team helped launch more than 1,000 brands and marketing campaigns.

As a co-founder of the Better Sleep Council, Mr. Wright identified that the competition for mattress sales was with other consumer products. An early proponent of the positive impact that bedding can have on health, the BSC was established in 1979 as a non-profit organization to educate the public about the importance of sleep to good health and quality of life, and the value of the mattress and sleep environment for a good night's sleep.

Wright of Thomasville was built on his philosophy of integrity — “Integrity of Promise...Integrity of Performance” to “do what it says it will do, with every order it ships.” Since 1964, when it began tracking performance, more than 99% of its annual volume of 20,000 orders shipped on time except for three years. And for those years, the rate still topped 98.5%. Mr. Wright was known to fly his airplane to personally deliver products if trucking companies couldn’t get a shipment to a customer on time. When a profit margin on a job was higher than expected, he would voluntarily lower the price to strengthen customer relationships.

Throughout his career, Mr. Wright was an active backer of the National Association of Bedding Manufacturers (now known as the International Sleep Products Association), contributing to major initiatives. He received ISPA’s Robert MacMoran Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership. In addition to his volunteer work in the bedding industry, he has long been active in both his church and community, teaching classes at Guilford College to better train students for the workforce.