The American Furniture Hall of Fame inducted three new members and three fellows at its annual banquet during the High Point Market in High Point, N.C., in October. Two of the honorees were mattress industry veterans—inductee Howard Haas, former president and chief executive officer of Trinity, N.C.-based mattress major Sealy, and industry fellow Thomas Wright, co-founder and retired chairman of the board of Wright Global Graphic Solutions in Thomasville, N.C.
Other inductees and fellows were Kevin O’Connor, president and CEO of Samson Marketing; Melvyn Wolff, chairman of Star Furniture Co.; Jena Hall, chief executive officer of Jenna Hall Associates; and Clement Lange Jr., co-founder and chairman of the board of Best Chair.
Howard Haas
Haas led Sealy for 19 years and is credited with growing the company’s revenues from $32 million to $550 million without acquiring a competitor or supplier. Under his tenure, the company integrated 34 independent licensees into a unified entity and launched the industry’s first national advertising campaign.
Wright founded what was then known as Wright of Thomasville in 1961 with brother Bill Wright. The company, still family owned and run, started as a printer for the home furnishings, mattress and carpet industries and has evolved into full-service marketing firm and point-of-purchase materials provider with manufacturing partners in Brazil, China and Mexico.
The International Sleep Products Association issued a statement congratulating the two men.
Thomas Wright
“A recipient of ISPA’s Robert MacMorran Memorial Award and the Russell Abolt Exceptional Service Award, Tom Wright had a vision of what the bedding industry could accomplish when working together toward a common goal. ISPA members today owe him a debt of gratitude for the time, energy, creativity and passion for excellence that he generously contributed to our association. His early support of the Better Sleep Council helped put ‘selling sleep’ on the map.”
