Gat Caperton, CEO of Gat Creek Furniture in Berkeley Springs, WV, was elected 2019 Chairman of the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) Board of Directors during the organization’s 2018 annual meeting in Bluffton, SC.
Caperton acquired Gat Creek, originally named Tom Seely Furniture, from its founder in 1996. The 50-year-old company now employs more than 150 artisans and sells its solid wood furnishings via 200-plus independent retail stores throughout the United States. Caperton has served on the AHFA Board of Directors since 2013.
Jeb Bassett, Senior Vice President of Bassett Furniture’s wood division, Bassett, VA, was elected First Vice Chairman of the AHFA Board, and Jeff Cook, CEO of A.R.T. Furniture, High Point, was elected Second Vice Chairman. AHFA’s 2018 Chairman, Bill Wittenberg, CEO of Klaussner Furniture, Asheboro, NC, moves to Immediate Past-Chairman for 2019. All new officers assume their posts on Jan. 1.
Executives newly elected to three-year terms on the AHFA Board of Directors include: Edward Audi, Stickley; David Beckmann, Emerald Home Furnishings; Roy Calcagne, Craftmaster; Nathan Cressman, Magnussen Home Furnishings; Kurt Darrow, La-Z-Boy Inc.; Luke Simpson, Durham Furniture; Henry Vanderminden IV, Telescope Casual Furniture; and Ron Wanek, Ashley Furniture Inds.
Continuing on the board with terms expiring at the end of 2020 are Doug Bassett, Vaughan-Bassett Furniture; Bruce Birnbach, American Leather; Michael Delgatti, Hooker Furniture; Todd Evans, Standard Furniture; Joe Johnston, Johnston Casuals; Steve Lehman, Smith Brothers of Berne; and Jeff Scheffer, Universal Furniture.
Continuing on the board with terms expiring year end 2019 are Doug Collier, La-Z-Boy Inc.; Eric Graham, Jonathan Charles; Fred Henjes, Riverside Furniture; Allan Palecek, Palecek; Alex Shuford III, Century Furniture; and Todd Wanek, Ashley Furniture Inds. Barrett Plasman, Scott Insurance and Heather Corrigan, Lectra, are supplier representatives on the board from AHFA’s Solution Partners division.
AHFA is based in High Point and represents more than 230 leading furniture manufacturers and distributors, along with about 150 suppliers to the furniture industry worldwide. AHFA serves as the residential furniture industry’s advocate in Washington, D.C., on all legislative and regulatory matters and leads the development of voluntary environmental, product safety and construction standards for home furnishings. Membership is open to all manufacturers and distributors of home furnishings for the U.S. market.
