New President of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association

Recently I was elected the 74th President of IHFRA.  It will be a busy year.  Here’s the article from Furniture World magazine.

Mike Root, President of Furniture Sales of Mid-America has been elected the 74th President of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association (IHFRA).  Mike has been active in the Association for the past four years, helping drive membership and rep benefits to make IHFRA one of the most dynamic sales rep organizations in the country. 

Mike is a third generation furniture representative with past experience in retail, rental, and wholesale.  His company, Furniture Sales of Mid-America, (www.furnituresales.biz) is a furniture wholesale and repping company servicing retailers in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states and this year celebrates its 50th year in business. Mike says he has the good fortune of working with his father, Emmet Root, who started the company and still is quite active after 50 plus years on the road. 

Mike and his associates at Furniture Sales of Mid-America are multi-line reps.  Their top lines currently represented include Hughes Furniture, Progressive Furniture and Woodcrest Manufacturing all of which they have represented for 15 -20 years each. 

Within the past year Mike also partnered with another past President of IHFRA, Bob Bruns from Cozzia Massage Chairs to help launch a nationwide sales force for Mega Motion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pride Mobility.  Mike indicated he never would have had this opportunity had it not been for his involvement and connections made as a member of IHFRA.

Mike writes the Rep blog for Furniture Today as well as the New Media Marketing articles for Furniture World magazine.  Mike is on the CQRID board for the Interior Design Society and is a newly elected Board member of the National Home Furnishings Association.
Mike is passionate about the incredible opportunities for our industry to make a difference in people’s lives. As President of IHFRA, he believes reps are still an integral part of the home furnishings distribution chain and continue to bring value to the industry.  The hope and challenge for his term is to grow membership of IHFRA by providing support and benefits to the sales professionals who in turn provide value to their factories and their retailer customers.

Outside of furniture Mike has two great loves.  First is his family: wife Nancy of 26 years and two adult children, Jay and Kara.  Mike’s other passion is golf for which he sports a low single digit handicap and owns with his son a business called FitnessForGolf.com.

IHFRA chose its 2012-2013 slate of officers during its annual Board of Directors meeting in High Point on March 17m 2912.  Joining Mike Root on the IHFRA Executive Committee are:  1st Vice-President Christopher DeLisa, Greater Metropolitan Furnishings Association; 2nd Vice-President, Matthew Keepers, At-Large Member; Secretary/Treasurer, Frank Lorenzo, Florida Home Furnishings Representatives Association; and Chairman of the Board, Mark Scharff, Greater Metropolitan Furnishings Association.

The IHFRA Executive Committee will be sworn in at the IHFRA Presidential Gala on Friday, April, 20, 2012 at the IHFC Ballroom on the 11th Floor Design Center.  For more information contact IHFRA at 336-889-3920 or e-mail ihfra@ihfra.org. Reservations can be made online at www.ihfra.org.