About YHFP

In April 1999, a group of furniture executives met during the High Point Market to discuss the shortage of young managers in the industry. Among them were journalists, sales and marketing managers, vice presidents and company presidents. The middle- and upper-level executives, all under age 40, decided to form the Young Home Furnishings Executives, an organization that would work to attract young managerial talent to their industry. Additionally, the group sought to ensure that promising young members of family businesses remained in the industry and that young managers had ample opportunities for professional development.

By 2002, YHFE had grown to more than 300 members. The organization had launched a website with a career center, an internship program and a scholarship program. In 2003, YHFE held its first educational and professional development program in conjunction with Women in the Home Industries Today (WithIt).

In 2004, the group changed its name to Young Home Furnishings Professionals. Richard Tomkins, president of the organization at the time and currently vice president of sales and marketing for manufacturer Cresent Furniture, recalls: “The organizing members wanted to create a leadership organization that fostered executive training for the future leaders of the industry. Later, we realized a need for a broader focus. We expanded our leadership programs to reach out to all professionals, as well as to future home furnishings professionals currently in college.”

In January 2007, YHFP merged with the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) to create the industry’s largest peer network for young home furnishings professionals. As a division of AHFA, the organization remains dedicated to attracting young people to the home furnishings industry, as well as to keeping talented young professionals in the industry. It continues to provide opportunities for its members to exchange ideas and to pursue professional growth and success.