The American Home Furnishings Alliance is recognized by government, the trade and the media as the authoritative voice of the U.S. furniture industry.

We are the industry's advocate before elected officials and regulatory agencies. We provide education and training within eight specific focus areas to promote the growth and global leadership of our member companies. We promote member company products to consumers through the industry's most successful public relations initiative ever. And, we identify the data and research needs of the industry and endeavor to meet these needs with timely, accurate and critical information delivered to our members and industry stakeholders.

Industry Advocacy
The purpose of AHFA's government affairs program is to provide an industry voice of reason to various governmental and regulatory agencies, balancing the needs of the consumer, the environment, the workplace and the shareholders of home furnishings companies and their suppliers.

The Alliance maintains high visibility in Washington with a full-time staff working to protect the interests of the furniture industry. AHFA lobbies on Capitol Hill, confers with senior members of the Administration and Congressional staffs, testifies at Congressional hearings and maintains regular contact with all major agencies that impact our industry.

Funding is supplied for scientific research on issues such as flammability, wood dust, boiler emissions, product safety and any others that may impact the manufacture, sales or marketing of home furnishings products in the United States.

Members are kept apprised of legislative and regulatory activity by a monthly Washington Report, as well as by an online report, AHFA in Action, that summarizes the Alliance's position on specific issues and provides updates on recent activities.

Through voluntary contributions, AHFA sponsors a Furniture Political Action Committee (FurnPAC) which supports private enterprise candidates seeking election to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. FurnPAC is bipartisan and is governed by a board of directors representing a cross-section of the membership.

With the federal government pushing more responsibilities to the states and the states' ever-increasing needs to generate revenue, AHFA also monitors and becomes involved in activities of state agencies and legislatures.

Focus Areas
AHFA's organizational structure, programs and services are designed to encourage participation and continuing education at all levels of furniture company management - from the company president to the plant supervisor. The following focus areas are designed to create a network of knowledge communities within our organization.

Environmental Affairs
An Environmental Affairs Committee comprised of professionals from AHFA member companies represents the furniture industry on environmental issues as an advocate and as a balanced voice of reason to various governmental and regulatory agencies in the United States. Training and educational opportunities for environmental professionals improve and broaden their technical expertise. A comprehensive "Environmental Guide" is housed on the AHFA website. It provides member companies with a depository for information, emerging technology and news. The committee is guided by a core group of industry professionals called the Action Committee on the Environment (ACE).

Finance
Educational programming targeted to finance executives includes an annual meeting in June, a Financial Management Seminar in September and the Economic Outlook Conference in December. Additional issue-specific seminars may be scheduled as needed. Data sent regularly to participants in this focus area include the Survey of Current Business and the Quarterly Economic Forecast. The Operating Ratios Report is also produced annually for participating members.

Human Resources
Training workshops and conferences keep AHFA human resources managers abreast of the latest standards, rulings, compliance procedures and labor activities affecting the HR profession. A monthly newsletter, HR Close-Up, is prepared by AHFA's special counsel for human resources, James W. Wimberly of Wimberly & Lawson, Atlanta, Ga. This newsletter is emailed to member companies upon request. Mr. Wimberly and other members of his firm are available to AHFA members for limited free telephone consultations on labor relations and employment-related matters. Focus on Benefits is a quarterly electronic newsletter focused on employee benefit plans. Surveys made available to members through the Human Resources Focus Area include the Furniture Manufacturers Benefits Survey, Wage Survey and the Survey of Supervisor's Pay.

Information Technology
Professional development of information technology executives in member companies is offered through technical sessions and conferences that focus on e-commerce and the furniture supply chain. This includes the development and communication of standards, as well as facilitating cooperation between the various supply chain segments.

Manufacturing
An annual meeting of manufacturing executives offers technical seminars focusing on the latest developments in furniture manufacturing. Plant tours of facilities in different industries provide a window to other manufacturing processes and concepts.

Marketing and Public Relations
Executives with responsibility for sales and marketing benefit from an annual two-day conference on current issues. Topics include consumer research, retail trends and various marketing issues, from licensing to internet sales. A public relations workshop precedes the annual marketing conference, giving those with additional PR responsibilities an opportunity to address issues such as market publicity, working with editors, crisis communications and investor relations. Various committees comprised of marketing and public relations executives participate in special projects, from overseeing consumer research to judging the annual HOME Awards, which honor outstanding journalists.

Safety & Health
Ergonomics workshops, safety schools and other programming focus on industry-specific practices and issues. A safety awards program recognizes member companies with outstanding safety records.

Transportation & Logistics
Seminars and an annual conference keep transportation and logistics professionals on the cutting edge of developments in the moving and handling of furniture products. Topics include packaging, import/export customs compliance, transportation contracting, information technology and supply chain management. Special projects have included establishing “recommended guidelines” for selecting a motor carrier and developing a manual of freight loss and damage claims procedures. (Both of these documents are available on this website in the Member Resource Center.) T&L executives also have served as consultants in the development of key transportation-related services, including the fleet fuel card program introduced in 2004 and the international container shipping program due to roll out in 2005.

Public Relations
AHFA's Public Relations Program was launched in April 1999 as a multi-media communications effort focused on motivating more consumers to purchase more furniture more often. The program includes a media desk, monthly press releases to the top 1,200 newspapers and more than 200 magazines nationwide, a website for the media (www.ahfanews.com), a website for consumers (www.findyourfurniture.com) and extensive efforts to promote coverage of the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point and the International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market in Chicago. In addition, AHFA manages the official Media Center for the High Point market, which hosts all journalists covering the April and October events.

Industry Data and Research
Providing members with access to timely, accurate and relevant data and research is a key objective of the Alliance. Longtime reports, such as the Sales Planning Guide, wage and benefits surveys, the quarterly and annual financial reports and the annual Operating Ratios Report will soon be augmented with new surveys and reports reflecting the changing profile of the home furnishings industry in America.

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