Belfort Furniture and Thom Filicia Come Together to Celebrate the
Unveiling of the Thom Filicia Home Collection.
Thom Filicia, TV Star and Award Winning Interior Designer
Appearing at Belfort Furniture March 31st

Published: March 30, 2012

DULLES, VA – Belfort Furniture located in Dulles, Virginia will be unveiling the Thom Filicia Home Collection on Saturday, March 31 at 11:30am. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet in person, Thom Filicia, television personality and award-winning Interior Designer for high profile celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez. Thom Filicia, the lead designer for Bravo Network’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and star of Style Network’s Dress My Nest and Tacky House, will present “A Conversation on Design” at the event. Hear firsthand what inspires Thom and how to express your personality through design. Customers will enjoy a lively Q&A, prizes and refreshments. The presentation will be followed by a photo signing session and “Design and Wine.” a casual, mingling opportunity with Thom and the Belfort Furniture staff.

Thom Filicia’s furniture line, the “Thom Filicia Home Collection,” will be unveiled during the event. The collection is described as “classic simplicity with an unexpected modern flair. Thom designs for the way we live now. The way we entertain now. This is pure design, both essential and highly practical.” Vanguard Furniture manufactures the Thom Filicia Home Collection. Representatives from Vanguard Furniture, including President, Dixon Mitchell, will be on-site for the event.

Michael Huber, CEO, Belfort Furniture noted, “We have always been committed to bringing the latest styles and trends to our customers and we are very excited to add this distinctive ‘American-chic’ collection to our lineup.” He added, “The Thom Filicia Home Collection offers unexpected design elements for every décor from classic to modern.”

Filicia’s achievements in the design world are many and the list continues to grow daily. A few notable recognitions are:

• Named one of House Beautiful magazine’s Top 100 Designers
• Elle Décor’s A-List, Top 25 Interior Designers
• Top 50 International Tastemakers
• Designed the Olympus Tents for New York City’s Fashion Week
• Designed The VIP Suite at the United States Pavilion at the World’s Fair in Aichi, Japan
• Designed Living Quarters at Greystone Estate in Los Angeles
• He has appeared on Oprah, Ellen, Jay Leno, Today Show, and has hosted the View

The Los Angeles Times Magazine says this about Filicia, “Thom Filicia is like a superhero of style.”

Known for their outstanding achievements in the home furnishings industry, Belfort Furniture, the area’s largest furniture store, was just voted “Retailer of the Year, 2012,” by the National Home Furnishings Association and has been voted “Best Furniture Store” in Loudoun County for 17 years straight, since 1995. Belfort’s 100,000 square foot furniture park showcases name brand furniture in every style for every décor and budget.

Join Belfort Furniture for a special day with this talented and inspiring designer. Filicia is engaging, witty, charming, and knowledgeable. He delights in sharing his love of design, good taste, and all things beautiful. Filicia is also a well known advocate and expert on eco-friendly design and construction.

The event is open to all and will be held at Belfort Furniture, located just three miles north of Dulles Airport, at 22267 Shaw Road, Dulles, VA 20166. Reservations are recommended. Customers can reserve a spot by calling 703-406-7600 or email Belfort at: info@belfortfurniture.com. Find out more about Belfort Furniture at: www.belfortfurniture.com

Belfort Furniture, Mike Huber, Named National Home Furnishings Retailer of the Year for 2012

Published: February 9, 2012

Dulles, VA - Belfort Furniture of Dulles, Va., has been named Retailer of the Year for 2012. The prestigious honor is awarded by the National Home Furnishings Association, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the home furnishings industry, exemplary service to the community, and personal and business achievements. Mike Huber, company founder and CEO, and Belfort Furniture embody the high standards the Retailer of the Year Award was created to encourage. The award, signified by a crystal obelisk, is the highest honor that the 93-year old trade association can bestow upon a member.

Under Huber’s guidance, Belfort has grown from an unlikely candidate for success, operating out of a humble space in an industrial park in 1987, into an innovative campus, the Belfort Furniture Park. The park consists 100,000 square feet of retail space encompassing five distinct stand-alone furniture retail environments, all within one complex. Each store presents a particular style, price point or need, in one convenient location. Belfort Furniture has earned numerous awards from consumers throughout Northern Virginia, among them, “The Best Furniture Store in Northern Virginia” as well as “The Best Furniture Store in Loudoun County” for 17 consecutive years in a row.

Huber has continued to press Belfort to improve. An 83,000 square foot high-tech warehouse was opened in 2006 to create better customer service and more efficient delivery. The warehouse allows for electronic tracking of the exact location of inventory. Today, equipped with iPads, all Belfort staff can check real-time availability of items in the warehouse from the showroom floor, organize and confirm delivery, and even complete custom orders, without ever leaving the customers’ side.

Contributions to the community have always been of prime importance to Mike Huber and Belfort Furniture as a whole. As the annual Corporate Sponsor for the YMCA Loudoun County Charity Golf Tournament since 2005, Belfort has helped raise over $300,000 to provide quality after school care and summer camp opportunities for children in need in Loudoun County. Belfort was also the local sponsor for City of Hope’s inaugural Walk for Hope, in Washington, DC in 2011. The Belfort team raised over $25,000 and Huber matched that for a total donation of more than $50,000 to Walk for Hope, Women’s Cancers, Women’s Cures.

Mike Huber was elected to the NHFA board in 2011. He is an advisory board member at Middleburg Bank, a member of Loudoun County CEO Cabinet, an honorary board member of the Loudoun Education Foundation, and is recognized as a Top 100 Smart CEO by Washington, DC SmartCEO, and a Top 20 CEO by NOVA Executive.

The Retailer of the Year 2012 award will be presented during the spring High Point Market at an awards gala at 6 p.m. April 23 in the International Home Furnishings Center ballroom. Belfort Furniture is located three mile north of Dulles Airport in Dulles, VA. www.belfortfurniture.com.

Mike Huber Guest Panelist at SmartCEO Matrix Executive Forum

Dulles, Va (September, 2011) – Mike Huber, Belfort Furniture, CEO was a guest panelist at the September SmartCEO Matrix Executive Forum. More than 200 business leaders from the Washington, DC metropolitan area attended the event at the Bethesda Marriott. The forum focused on how creative, clever and effective marketing will lead to growth. SmartCEO is a mid-Atlantic resource that offers educational opportunities to inspire regional CEOs in running and growing their businesses. The dialogue centered around branding, social media, obsolete marketing strategies, managing online reputations and return on investment. Discussions also centered on the marketing of “daily deals” and the impact that strategy has on business margins.

During the discussion, Huber commented, “The number one benefit of a strong brand is customer loyalty. Our repeat business is about 45% and that speaks to the strength of the ‘Belfort’ brand.”

Growing Belfort Furniture from just one employee to over 160 employees, Huber offered insights from advertising, managing an online reputation to creating a private label brand, “Belfort Signature,” which now accounts for almost 10% of their sales.

Under Huber’s leadership, the twenty four year old company has become a national leader in the home furnishings retail industry and is a Top 100 Retailer in the country, as ranked by Furniture Today. Belfort Furniture is located in Dulles, Virginia. www.belfortfurniture.com

Belfort Furniture Sponsors YMCA Loudoun County Charity Golf Tournament, Raises Over $45,000

Purcellville, VA (May 2011) - Belfort Furniture took the lead again this year as the Corporate Sponsor for the YMCA Loudoun County Annual Charity Golf Tournament. The event brought in over $45,000. The proceeds from this event support the YMCA Loudoun County Building Bridges Program that provides quality after school and summer camp opportunities for families in Loudoun County. The tournament took place May 5th at Loudoun Valley Golf and Country Club in Purcellville, Virginia.

Mike Huber, CEO, Belfort Furniture and his wife, Kristi Huber, Vice-President, Quality, Belfort, hosted a pre-golf event at Mike’s vineyard, Stone Tower Vineyards, in Leesburg, Virginia. Over 100 industry partners attended the casual gathering for a cocktails and barbeque amidst the very picturesque landscape.

Since Belfort Furniture became the sponsor in 2005, their efforts have helped raise almost $300,000 for the YMCA Loudoun County. Mike Huber, Belfort CEO, noted, “It sounds like such a simple thing…giving a kid a chance to take part in camp, learn worthwhile skills, have fun and make new friends. But it is not a small thing.”

He continued, “Organizations like the YMCA and the Building Bridges Program, make a real difference in the lives of real families here in Loudoun County. I’m proud to be part of it, and proud that Belfort Furniture was able to once again sponsor this wonderful event.” Laura Fears, Associate Executive Director, YMCA Loudoun County expressed her gratitude for Belfort’s contributions, “We are so grateful to Belfort Furniture and their industry partners for their continued support of our programs, lending a helping hand to the families in Loudoun County who truly need our support.”

Belfort Furniture’s industry partners from all over the United States came out strong to support the event, as did local Loudoun businesses.

Belfort Furniture’s Mike Huber to Receive City of Hope’s Top Philanthropic Award

DULLES, VA (April 2011) – Belfort Furniture announces that City of Hope’s National Home Furnishings Industry group will present Mike Huber, Chief Executive Officer, with The Spirit of Life® Award, City of Hope’s most prestigious honor, at the annual Spirit of Life gala on April 3, 2011. The event, which benefits lifesaving cancer research, education and treatment at City of Hope, will be held at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC.

“It’s a privilege to receive this award from an institution that is on the cutting edge of cancer research,” Huber said. “Together, the home furnishings industry and City of Hope will continue to work toward advancing innovative science and turning it into new treatments for patients battling life-threatening diseases.”

Huber has announced that he will match pledges, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $25,000 for the Walk for Hope, Women’s Cancers, Women’s Cures. The walk will take place in Washington, DC on Sunday, April 10th. City of Hope's women’s cancers research, treatment and education programs are leading the way to women's cures. To register and join the Belfort Team or to make a donation, visit Belfort Furniture’s website, www.belfortfurniture.com or nationalevents.cityofhope.org/goto/Belfort.

“We are pleased to recognize Mike Huber for his steadfast commitment to the fight against cancer,” said Shannon Sullivan, Director of Development, City of Hope. “He recognizes the critical role of research in making cancer a manageable and ultimately curable disease. City of Hope is fortunate to have his support and commitment to our mission.”

Belfort Furniture, a family-owned business, opened its doors in 1987 in an industrial park in Herndon, Virginia. with one employee. Today, Belfort is strategically situated just north of Dulles Airport in Loudoun County, one of the fastest growing areas in the United States, The company employs more than 160 associates with 100,000 square feet of showrooms and more than 100,000 square feet of warehouse space. Belfort sells the most sought after furniture manufacturer lines available in the industry and is ranked as a “Top 100 Retailer” by Furniture Today. Belfort’s success can be attributed to Huber’s passion for the furniture business and his entrepreneurial vision to build and grow Washington, D.C., area’s largest furniture store.

For more information on City of Hope’s National Home Furnishings Industry, visit www.cityofhope.org/nhfi.

About City of Hope

City of Hope is a leading research, treatment and education center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a comprehensive cancer center, the highest honor bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope's research and treatment protocols advance care throughout the nation. City of Hope is located in Duarte, Calif., just northeast of Los Angeles, and is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer and urology by U.S.News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics. For more information, visit www.cityofhope.org.