Former owner furnishes a rescue of Levin Furniture
One hundred years later, Levin Furniture is back in the family.
Robert Levin, grandson of the founders and former owner/president of the company, walked away from retirement this week to purchase the firm – and possibly save the jobs of its 1,200 employees. He reached an agreement late Wednesday to reacquire the business from Art Van, which bought the chain from the Levin family in November 2017.
The parent of Warren, Mich.-based Art Van is considering options that include filing for bankruptcy, according to a report in Crain’s Detroit Business. Levin’s deal also included acquiring the Wolf Furniture chain, which Art Van purchased along with Levin in late 2017.
Levin announced the deal Thursday morning. The company has 39 locations in Pennsylvania and Ohio – furniture, bedding and clearance stores. They include 19 in Western Pennsylvania, two of which are in Washington County: a large, free-standing furniture store on Washington Road in Peters Township, and a Levin Mattress location in Trinity Point shopping center, South Strabane Township.
Altoona-based Wolf Furniture has 17 locations: nine in central and southeastern Pennsylvania; seven in Maryland; and one in Virginia.
Robert Levin is pleased to be in the president’s chair again. He said in a prepared statement: “I’m coming back as the owner of Levin Furniture for the employees who were at risk of losing their jobs. They are the most loyal, dedicated, and hardworking people I’ve ever known.
“It will be a privilege and honor to once again lead this company as we prepare to celebrate 100 years in the furniture and mattress business.”
At least one employee is thrilled he is back. “This is amazing news,” said a staff member at the Trinity Point store, in the Walmart/Sam’s Club plaza.
The company is based in South Huntingdon Township, where it also has a distribution center. Its roots likewise are in Westmoreland County, where spouses Sam and Jessie Levin launched the company in Mount Pleasant in 1920, as a hardware/furniture store.
Furniture became the main focus there in the ’40s, when Sam’s son, Leonard, came on board. Leonard eventually became president, and under his leadership, the company expanded from that sole location into a growing chain in 1978.
Leonard died in 1989 and was succeeded by his son, Howard, who was president for only four years until his passing at age 40. Robert then took over in 1993.
Now he’s back, leading a firm that will celebrate its 100th birthday later this year.