Wednesday, November 8, 2023
The American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) is happy to honor Kevin J. Sauder with Distinguished Service Award. It is known as AHFA’s highest honor. Mr. Sauder is the President and CEO and third generation leader of Sauder Woodworking of Archbold, Ohio.
On November 4, the award was presented during the organization’s Annual Meeting and CEO Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
The award is presented each year to an industry executive selected for his or her contribution to the home furnishings industry, to AHFA, and to the recipient’s local community. Sauder is the 56th recipient of the award, which was first presented in 1966. In announcing the honor, Farooq Kathwari, chairman, CEO, and president of Ethan Allen, described Sauder as “A builder of innovative business strategies.”
Following completion of his bachelor’s degree from Miami (Ohio) University and his MBA from Duke University, Sauder joined Northern Telecom (now Nortel Networks) in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1985 handling business systems and marketing. Three years later he joined the family business as marketing and sales director for the newly formed office products division, for which he directed a national sales force that built the company’s office superstore business. In 1992 he was promoted to vice president of marketing and initiated a major brand awareness effort including national advertising and public relations campaigns.
For five years, there were three generations actively leading the family business: Erie Sauder, who founded the company in 1934, served as chairman of the board while his son (and Kevin’s father), Maynard, was president and CEO. Erie remained chairman until he died in 1997. In 1999, Maynard transferred operating responsibility for Sauder’s RTA furniture business to Kevin, and two years later he became president and CEO of the company.
Today, Sauder Woodworking Company is the nation’s largest manufacturer of ready-to-assemble furniture. With some of the most technologically advanced equipment in the world, its Archbold facilities include nearly 4 million square feet of space and are the core of an expanded family of companies and divisions that employ more than 2,300 workers.
Kevin Sauder’s Distinguished Service Award is inscribed “Industry Visionary.” He received the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association Pillar of the Industry Award in 2011 and served as chair of AHFA’s Board of Directors in 2015.
Source: Woodworking Network
Tags: American Home Furnishings, furnishing industry, furniture industry, service award
