American Furniture Manufacturers Association Changes Name and Membership Criteria
The American Furniture Manufacturers Association (AFMA) voted at its annual meeting last week to expand its membership criteria to include U.S. companies that import home furnishings for wholesale distribution and to change its name to the American Home Furnishings Alliance. Previously, AFMA member companies were required to have a manufacturing facility in the U.S.
According to AFMA's chief executive officer the change was made to recognize the switch by more companies from manufacturing to importing. Under the old rules, "in the future, an increasing number of longtime AFMA members . . . would have no longer qualified for membership.''
The American Home Furnishings Alliance is the largest association of home furnishings companies in the world and represents more than 250 U.S. furniture manufacturers and distributors.