SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Furniture Mart USA recently received some national recognition, receiving the industry leader award by Furniture Today magazine.

“It was a surprise for sure we never expected it,” Furniture Mart USA Founder & Chairman of the Board Bill Hinks said. 

Hinks received the award at a conference in Orlando late last year in front of the nation’s largest furniture retailers.

“We had no idea we would get furniture of the year award, amazing experience we had, had a chance to speak to the whole group of furniture owners,” Hinks said. “It just kind of moved us up a little bit.”

The award is for the overall growth of the company over the past year.

“We have 54 stores in six states. We’re currently working on a couple more,” Hinks said. “We increased this year $95 million, in one year. I don’t think that’s ever been done.”

But Furniture Mart’s unique solution to pandemic challenges is what made the company stand out even more for this year’s award.

“So many furniture stores are struggling because they can’t get the product and if they do get it, it about doubles the price of what they sold it for. So it’s really been a challenge,” Hinks said. 

It’s why Hinks decided to double his warehouse on the north side of Sioux Falls, adding 300,000 square feet of storage space designed to get products to their customers faster.

“Really it’s about having the product on hand when the customer decides to buy it and Bill has set us with the charge to get it delivered within 3 to 5 days,” Furniture Mart USA Chief Operating Officer Troy Eichmann said. “We’ll be able to be a lot more agile and quicker than we are today and convenience is a big deal to our customers.

Hinks says this new larger warehouse is not only a solution to the pandemic shipping delays but also helps Furniture Mart stay competitive with online retailers like Amazon that have shifted customer delivery expectations. 

“The customer says, well you can buy it from Amazon and they’ll bring it right out,” Hinks said. “Now we have it so you don’t have to wait.

The National Leadership award also looks at a company’s charitable giving. Hinks says Furniture Mart USA invests in every community their stores are located, but especially in the Sioux Falls area where the company is headquartered.