Brashears Furniture is honored to have been selected the National Home Furnishings Association's 2010

Retailer of the Year. The industry will recognize Brashears at a gala during this year's High Point, North

Carolina furniture market in April. This is considered one of the highest honors in the furniture industry.

National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA) is the nation’s largest organization devoted specically to

the needs and interests of home furnishings retailers. NHFA’s membership comprises 2,750 corporate

entities representing 10,000 stores in all 50 states and several foreign countries.

“To be recognized alongside some of the most prominent retailers in the country is both an honor and a

humbling experience. This award belongs to our employees and their families and our three generations

of customers who make everything we do possible” —Doug Brashears, President.

Brashears is a third generation, locally owned business. The Brashears family has been doing business in

the Ozarks for over 75 years. Brashears has three showrooms located in Berryville, AR , Branson, MO and

Springdale, AR and two warehouses in Berryville. With over 150,000 square feet of furniture Brashears

has one of the largest furniture selections in Arkansas and Missouri. Their delivery area includes 19

counties in NW Arkansas and SW Missouri.

All three showrooms have furniture for every room in the house including rugs, mattresses, art, lamps

and accessories. Brashears is known for o-ering exceptional values with a wide range of styles to choose

from. They are also recognized for providing a comfortable shopping experience in casual, relaxed

environment.

“We dene ourselves by being di-erent—from our selection to our playful advertising, even how we

welcome our customers with a cup of co-ee and a warm cookie,” said Susan Brashears.

The Brashears' family business began during the Great Depression when Vol Brashears Sr., (named after

Arkansas legislator Vol Walker) and Ida Nell Amos married, settled in Berryville and started a lumber mill.

The mill made wagon parts, truck stakes and hay-baler blocks which shipped all over the United States.

Eventually, with the help of family and friends, they built a big barn that would become the Brashears

Hardwood Company. The barn was primarily used to store lumber.

In order to make ends meet during the Great Depression, Vol Sr. made wooden traps and paid the town

children .35 cents for each live rabbit they trapped. He then shipped them throughout the country on the

Berryville Railroad. Many of the children were making more money than their parents were earning

full-time at the lumber mill. His son, Vol Jr. helped to trap both rabbits and bullfrogs, becoming such an

expert on bullfrogs that even today the Library of Congress refers bullfrog inquiries to Brashears. During

the Great Depression, Brashears was the largest employer in Carroll County.

The years after the Depression were busy times for Brashears, but they came with new challenges. In

1940, a tornado came right down Main Street and leveled every house. The Barn was soon repaired and

fully enclosed, opening the door for new possibilities. Ida Nell, known by most as Mrs. “B” started selling

hardware, paint, clothing and candy turning the Brashears Hardwood company into somewhat of a

general store.

Vol Brashears Jr. and his wife Helen both grew up in Berryville and were married in 1945. Together they

raised three sons, Vol III, Kent and Doug. After serving as a Pilot in World War II then later working in the

Pentagon, Vol Jr. and Helen returned to the area in order to help with the family business. Vol Jr. and

Helen moved into the house that Vol had been raised in —and still live there today. Helen began to work

full-time at the store. Her 　air for style, color and design was a perfect addition. In 1970, Vol Jr. and Helen

traveled to Dallas to scout out an emerging furniture market. Upon their return, they transformed the

general store into Brashears Furniture Company.

In 1987, Vol Jr's son, Doug Brashears and his wife Susan, moved from Dallas to Springeld. Doug, like his

father before, wanted to help his parents run the family business. Later that year, Doug and his father

moved the business into a new 22,500 sq. ft showroom across the street from the original store. The old

store (still lovingly referred to as “The Barn”) became Brashears’ warehouse.

Vol Brashears III moved back from Houston and began to work in the business in 1989. Vol III had been

working in Houston as a commercial and residential designer in the furniture industry. Doug’s wife,

Susan joined the business in 1991. She had previously worked as a nancial analyst in Dallas and then as

the KOLR 10 business manager in Springeld.

During the Branson “boom” in the late 1980's Doug and longtime employee, Sam Warren, had the

foresight to get involved in furnishing condominiums in the Branson area. They found that furnishing

commercial projects is a very di-erent business than retail furniture sales. In 1994 Sam Warren opened a

commercial division in Branson and worked full-time with developers and realtors in the lake area.

Brashears has furnished thousands of condominiums and commercial projects in the Branson area and

throughout Northwest Arkansas. They have furnished and installed furniture in condominium

developments as far away as Arizona, Texas and South Carolina.

In 1997, Brashears opened a 12,000 square foot retail showroom in Branson and has been a part of the

Branson growth over the past 20 years.

In 1992, Brashears had out grown the “The Barn” as a warehouse and decided to purchase a vacant

55,000 square foot building on Highway 62 in Berryville. The building had previously been a garment

factory which became available through an SBA auction.

In January of 2001 Brashears was determined to simplify their operations by consolidating the Berryville

showroom and warehouse into a single location. In July 2002, the former garment factory-turned

warehouse was remodelled into a beautiful 43,000 square foot showroom combined with a

state-of-the-art, high-stack warehouse. Brashears now had over 100,000 square feet of showroom and

warehouse in Berryville (a town of 4000 people). That’s when they truly became “The Little Store That Got

Way Outta Hand.”

In 2006, Doug Brashears was contacted about purchasing a showroom in Springdale, AR. After analyzing

the current and potential growth in Northwest Arkansas, Brashears decided to move forward with the

purchase and began remodeling their third showroom. The new 35,000 sq. ft showroom opened in the

summer of 2007. The showroom was uniquely designed and displays a wide range of furniture in

addition to the areas largest rug gallery and premium sleep center.

Staying involved and supporting our community is an important part the Brashears culture. “We believe

that the long-term health of our company is connected to the health of our community— we support

programs and projects that improve the lives of our friends and neighbors,” said Doug Brashears.

the majority of the furniture for Camp Barnabas in Purdy, Missouri. “We had an opportunity to help make

a di-erence in the lives of hundreds of families and kids. Our involvement was an experience that

touched every member of the Brashears sta-,” said Susan Brashears.

In addition to their ongoing support of many local charities, Brashears picks up unwanted furniture from

their customers and delivers them to local charities for people in need.

“The success of Brashears Furniture over the years is a result of our people, we are very proud we have so

many long-term employees,” says Susan Brashears. A forth of the employees have been with Brashears

for over 15 years, and two over 30 years, including Vice President, Sam Warren who’s been with Brashears

for 33 years.

Brashears' extended family includes many of their

customers. They always love hearing stories

about when they used to come shopping with

their grandparents or bought their rst dining set

from Vol and Mrs.”B”.

“Many of our customers are third generation, we

think that is the ultimate compliment,” said Doug

Brashears.