Six industry leaders were named candidates for the 2012 American Furniture Hall of Fame.  The nominees, who will be made Industry Fellows at the Oct. 14 Hall of Fame banquet held during this October’s High Point Market, are Howard G. Haas, Jena Hall, Clement M. Lange Jr., Kevin M. O’Connor, Melvyn L. Wolff and Thomas E. Wright, the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation announced.

Thomas E. Wright candidate

Thomas E. Wright was the 1980 recipient of ISPA’s Robert MacMorran Memorial Award and is the co-founder and former chairman of Wright of Thomasville, now known as Wright Global Graphics, a supplier of labels, in-store display graphics, and point-of-sale products to the mattress, upholstery, case goods, floor covering and rug industries. With his brother, the late Bill Wright, he grew their printing company from a small, single location serving one customer in 1961 to a global operation with seven facilities. Their technology to print a black-and-white photograph and later a four-color process image on a satin mattress label enabled customers to clearly develop brand names while building lifestyle stories. As one of ISPA’s visionary leaders, he was a co-founder of the Better Sleep Council and an early proponent of the positive impact of a good night’s sleep on health. He taught classes at Guilford College and is active in his church and with community organizations.

Foundation members will vote on which nominees will be inducted and under the new selection system, the inductees will be determined by the combination of the voting and a points-based rating system of each nominee by the Foundation’s Industry Fellow Selection Committee. Officials said the candidates were selected from open nominations and by the Industry Fellows Selection Committee based on their contributions to the growth and development of the furniture industry in America with a focus on four standards: enduring excellence, superior accomplishments, innovation and creativity, and philanthropic generosity.

Source:  Furniture Today e-daily