Member Benefits

AHFA’s environmental program helps home furnishings companies implement sustainable business practices that lead to greater efficiency and bottom-line savings while contributing to global sustainability.

Known as “EFEC,” the program is an industry-specific environmental management system installed at more than 100 factories, warehouses, distribution centers and corporate office buildings in the United States and Mexico. It guides facilities through a comprehensive review that leads to improved management of resources and raw materials; reduced energy and water consumption; reduced waste; and increased recycling.

The EFEC Environmental Management Manual is located under Guides & Manuals in our Member Resources section.

AHFA has become a driving force in addressing the need for younger workers in our industry’s executive suites, as well as in our modern U.S. manufacturing facilities. A Furniture Foundation disseminates more than $50,000 in grants every year to support education programs targeting furniture design students, new upholstery workers, young executives and university students considering careers in various areas of our industry.

In addition, AHFA’s Solution Partners suppliers division now awards $30,000 in annual scholarships to the children of industry workers employed by AHFA member companies. These scholarships, based on financial need and academic merit, have supported higher education for more than 100 students since the program was begun in 2000.

The Solution Partners division also supports a website, www.MyFurnitureCareer.com, developed to help reduce the skilled labor crisis in our industry’s upholstery plants. The site serves to elevate the image of our industry nationwide by spotlighting the talented “makers” crafting upholstered furniture. The site sends prospective job candidates to member company websites and also recruits students for multiple community college-based furniture training programs.

As part of our mission to support the growth and global leadership of our member companies, AHFA and its affiliates offer educational events and issue-focused programs throughout the year. These timely forums bring together executives from companies of all sizes and business models, along with technical experts, regulatory officials and industry leaders, to focus on emerging business issues and trends.

Key events include the International Casual Furnishings Association Education Conference, Annual Logistics Conference, Annual Regulatory Summit and Annual Meeting and CEO Conference. These events offer both professional development and executive networking opportunities.

As needs arise, AHFA also provides issue-focused webinars for industry-specific technical training or compliance guidance. Member companies that miss one of these webinars or conferences can find an Education link on the AHFA.us home page that leads to all available presentations.

Information on future webinars and education events is always easy to find on our Events page.

AHFA’s Public Relations Program was launched in 1999 as a unified, multi-media communications effort focused on motivating more consumers to purchase more furniture more often. The AHFA PR team maintain ongoing media relationships by developing strong editorial messages supported by an unparalleled digital library of product photography from member companies. This work benefits your marketing team by helping to promote your company’s new products to the consumer media.

As the most widely respected source of industry information, AHFA also fields dozens of calls and emails each year from business journalists researching news stories. And when topics turn controversial, AHFA develops industry position statements and provides journalists with valuable background data to help inform their reporting.

When companies join AHFA, they not only help our industry work toward sensible government policies, they also gain exclusive access to the most reliable, first-hand source of information to help them decipher compliance guidelines, save compliance costs, and avoid non-compliance violations.

Regulatory mandates related to product safety, chemical content and product labeling multiply every year, on both the state and federal level. AHFA’s comprehensive compliance tools provide the insights, education and resources companies need to manage corporate compliance programs. The Regulatory Compliance section of AHFA.us offers a complete list of resources and current Compliance “Toolboxes.”

AHFA is your strategic partner and advocate on Capitol Hill, conferring with senior members of the Administration and Congressional staffs, testifying at Congressional and regulatory hearings and maintaining relationships with all agencies that impact our industry.

In addition, AHFA provides funding for scientific research on issues such as flammability, product chemical content, product safety and other matters that impact the manufacture, sales and marketing of home furnishings products in the United States.

Members are kept apprised of legislative and regulatory activity through Member Bulletins that summarize the Alliance’s position and provide updates on recent actions.

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.