Irv Blumkin
Irv Blumkin, CEO and Chairman since 1991, has dramatically grown Nebraska Furniture Mart into one of the largest and most respected home furnishings retailers. Annual sales for its four stores located in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Texas, total more than $1.6 billion in 4.5 million sq. ft. of combined retail and distribution space. Under his strategic direction, the company developed two regional mixed-use entertainment, dining and shopping attractions, placing their stores as anchors of Legends in Kansas City and Grandscape in Dallas-Ft. Worth. Creative displays have become must-visit destinations, packed with shoppers – so much so, that when the Kansas City store opened in 2003, eager customers halted traffic out on the interstate highway.
Mr. Blumkin takes a practical approach to business innovation, using the latest data to guide decisions, equipping the sales associates with tablets and using electronic price tags for real time price changes. His teams have created an omnichannel company, merging the store and online experiences for the sale of its home furnishings, flooring, electronics and appliances. He began working at Nebraska Furniture Mart, founded by his grandmother Rose Blumkin in 1937, at the age of 8. He joined the family business full time in 1975, after graduating from college, when a tornado destroyed the Omaha store. In 1983, he was instrumental in the majority ownership sale of the company to Warren Buffet at Berkshire Hathaway, based on a handshake and one-page contract.
His industry service includes board membership for the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation and serving as a committee member and panelist for organizations including the Home Furnishings Association, Furniture Today and the Furniture Marketing Group. Philanthropy and giving back have always been part of the company culture; employees are encouraged to volunteer through the NFM Cares program. His many honors include the Anti-Defamation League Humanitarian Award, City of Hope Spirit of Lifetime Achievement Award, and the American Marketing Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Blumkin joins his father, Louie, and grandmother as inducted members of the Hall of Fame — the only company represented by three consecutive generations.