Levin Furniture & Mattress and John V. Schultz Furniture have won the 2026 Furniture Retailer Award, being named Furniture Retailer of the Year by the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association (IHFRA). The recognition, announced July 29, 2026, celebrates the combined Pennsylvania and Ohio retailer’s century-long heritage, community involvement and continued regional growth.
Levin’s story began in 1920, when Sam and Jessie Levin opened the Sam Levin Furniture Company in a single storefront in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Twenty years later, John V. Schultz opened his namesake furniture store in Erie, Pennsylvania. The two companies grew independently for decades, each building a reputation for quality products, exceptional customer service and close ties to their communities, before eventually combining under one ownership group. Today, under Co-CEOs Matt Schultz and John Schultz, the organization operates more than 30 locations — including six Ashley stores — across western and central Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio and surrounding markets, employing more than 1,000 associates dedicated to providing value, service and an exceptional shopping experience.
Why did IHFRA name Levin and John V. Schultz its Furniture Retailer Award winner?
IHFRA cited the combined company’s century-plus heritage, its strong community ties and its continued growth across the region in selecting Levin and John V. Schultz for the honor. Beyond retail performance, the organization pointed to the retailers’ longstanding partnerships with children’s hospitals, food banks and other local charitable groups as a defining part of its culture. IHFRA also highlighted operational investments behind the scenes, including a large-scale solar array that supplies approximately 70% of the annual electricity used at the company’s distribution center, Styrofoam densification equipment that diverts packaging waste from landfills, and expanded recycling programs across its facilities. Taken together, the judges framed the award as recognition of a retailer that has modernized its operations without losing the community-first identity built by its founders more than a century ago.
What does the award signal for the wider furniture retail sector?
The honor lands as independent and regional furniture chains face a tougher operating backdrop, from tariff-driven cost pressure on imported furniture to softer big-ticket spending among consumers. IHFRA’s decision to spotlight a privately owned, century-old operator underscores a broader industry narrative this year: that scale built through consolidation of family-run retailers — rather than private-equity roll-ups alone — can still compete against national chains while preserving local ties. Levin and JVS’s combined footprint, including six Ashley-branded locations, also illustrates how independent retailers increasingly lean on branded store-within-store partnerships to strengthen their assortments and marketing reach, a strategy other regional chains are watching closely as they weigh their own growth paths.
Market Reaction and Industry Response
As a privately held retailer, Levin and John V. Schultz do not have a public stock to react to the news, but the announcement drew immediate coverage from regional outlets in Erie and Pittsburgh, where the two chains have deep roots. The award is part of IHFRA’s broader Furniture Industry Awards Gala program, which this year marks its 30th anniversary; the organization had previewed the 2026 gala’s theme, venue and honoree slate earlier this year before confirming Levin and JVS as Retailer of the Year. Trade coverage framed the win as recognition not just of sales performance but of the chains’ sustainability initiatives and long-running community partnerships, with several outlets noting the rarity of a combined, century-old family business earning the honor over larger national chains.
What Happens Next?
Levin and John V. Schultz will be formally recognized at IHFRA’s Furniture Industry Awards Gala, the trade association’s signature annual event honoring standout performers across the home furnishings industry. For the combined retailer, the award arrives as it continues to operate its more-than-30-store footprint across Pennsylvania and Ohio, with its solar-powered distribution center and packaging-waste reduction programs likely to remain reference points in future sustainability coverage of the sector. Industry watchers will also be looking at whether the recognition translates into further expansion for the combined organization, which has already grown to include six Ashley-branded showrooms alongside its legacy Levin and JVS locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Levin Furniture and John V. Schultz Furniture?
The combined organization is privately owned and led by Co-CEOs Matt Schultz and John Schultz, operating more than 30 locations, including six Ashley stores, across western and central Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio and surrounding markets.
What is IHFRA’s Furniture Retailer of the Year award?
It is an annual honor given by the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association recognizing a retailer’s business performance, community engagement and industry leadership, presented as part of IHFRA’s Furniture Industry Awards Gala.
How long have Levin and John V. Schultz been in business?
Levin traces its roots to 1920, when Sam and Jessie Levin opened their first store in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. John V. Schultz opened his namesake Erie, Pennsylvania store twenty years later, in 1940, making the combined organization more than a century old.
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