Raymour and Flanigan Furniture

The Early Years: Raymour's Furniture Company
Family owned and operated, Raymour’s Furniture Company, the predecessor of Raymour & Flanigan Furniture, was established by brothers Bernard and Arnold Goldberg in 1947 with a single, modest store in downtown Syracuse, NY.
Current CEO and President Neil Goldberg joined the family business in 1972. Soon after, the company implemented a fully accessorized furniture showroom concept at low take-home or delivered prices. This innovation coupled with Raymour’s aggressive credit program paved the foundation for future growth. By the late 1970s, Steven and Michael Goldberg joined the company.
In 1986, with continued growth on the horizon beyond Central New York, the company built a 200,000 sq. ft. office and distribution center in Liverpool, NY.

Once upon a time in 1972...

A New Era: Raymour & Flanigan
The 1990s ushered in a period of virtually nonstop growth and expansion for Raymour’s, beginning with the purchase of 14 Flanigan Furniture locations in Western New York, making the company the largest furniture retailer in New York State.
The 1990s also included expansion into New England, New Jersey and Pennsylvania with the company’s acquisition of Furniture Unlimited stores.

Raymour & Flanigan store front

Explosive Growth Continues into the New Millennium
Raymour & Flanigan entered the new millennium with momentum from the previous decade’s success and aggressively targeted growth in the New York City Metropolitan market. Over 50 stores in six Northeastern states were opened from 2000 to 2006, the main Liverpool distribution center was expanded to 600,000 sq. ft. and a consumer website was launched.
In 2007, the company’s 60th year, Raymour & Flanigan added a 7th state, Rhode Island, to its footprint with the purchase of Alpert’s Furniture; it opened its first New York City Manhattan location; and it launched its own Leadership Development Institute in a newly renovated, state-of-the-art building on the main Liverpool campus, graduating 120 associates.
Raymour & Flanigan also experienced unprecedented growth from January to December 2008, opening 12 showrooms and two clearance centers. A new customer care center was established to serve the expansion in New Jersey and metropolitan New York. As part of the 2008 showroom growth, the company acquired Levitz Furniture leases and opened 10 stores from March to October 2008 in the greater New York City area, increasing service to customers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Jersey City.
In addition, the first ENERGY STAR rated showrooms, Phillipsburg, NJ and Garden City, NY, opened. ENERGY STAR buildings prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Also, a 40,000 sq. ft. studio was added to the Field Support Center for furniture photography and TV commercial production.
In 2011, Raymour and Flanigan significantly expanded its Web presence by adding rugs and home décor items, which include lamps, wall art and florals, to its already extensive online furniture catalog and offering free delivery on them. In addition, the company partnered with a trusted, contracted delivery service to extend its furniture delivery area to all states within the continental US.

Taking over Manhattan

Eco-Friendly Practices
In June 2007, a 41,000 sq. ft. recycling facility was opened on Raymour & Flanigan’s main campus to recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, Styrofoam packaging and mixed office paper from stores and service centers. The recycled materials are used by other manufacturers to create new consumer products. Since 2007, over 30 million pounds of waste have been recycled that would have otherwise gone to Northeast landfills.
The company earned an EPA Green Power Partnership with green power purchases for its New York stores. The green power purchase takes the form of Green-e certified renewal energy credits (RECs) generated at wind facilities across the US, and it results in the avoidance of over 800 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
Raymour & Flanigan has increased environmental practices substantially since 2007, and it’s still evolving. The company is actively engaged in voluntary reduction of energy consumption in showrooms and facilities, and it partners with vendors who share the philosophy of reducing the company’s carbon footprint.


Design Advice Program
Inspired by customers’ requests for design advice, Raymour & Flanigan entered an exclusive partnership with design expert and TV personality Kristan Cunningham and implemented a new design advice program in 2009. This comprehensive program enhances the customer shopping experience by making it less stressful, and it increases customers’ confidence in their ability to put together a room that reflects their individual style.
Kristan provides expert design advice on styles, trends, mixing and matching styles and how to turn customers’ visions into a comfortable, affordable home. Kristan’s design advice is available in Raymour & Flanigan showrooms in the form of design magazines, style guide brochures and direct mail pieces; and online at RaymourFlanigan.com.

Taking Care of the Communities Where We Serve, Work and Live
Raymour & Flanigan’s community efforts focus on helping organizations that provide research, prevention and treatment of diseases affecting women and children, and the company’s associates and their family members often volunteer for these causes. Here are a few of the major charities Raymour & Flanigan has supported:
• American Cancer Society
• American Heart Association
• Make-A-Wish
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• United Way