Rhodes Furniture
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Furnishings |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Defunct | Template:End date and age |
| Fate | Bankruptcy and liquidation; select locations transitioned to Rooms To Go |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Products | Home Furniture |
The Rhodes Furniture Company was a furniture retailer headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Originating from a single outlet in Downtown Atlanta, the enterprise eventually expanded its presence across the United States.[1]
History
Born in 1850 in Henderson, Kentucky, Amos Giles Rhodes relocated to Atlanta in 1875 where he worked as a laborer for the L & N Railroad. Four years later, in 1879, he launched a modest furniture business in Atlanta. Some accounts attribute to him the innovation of the installment payment system for furniture purchases.
In 1889, Rhodes formed a partnership with J.J. Haverty, owner of an adjacent furniture store who would later establish Havertys, creating the Rhodes-Haverty Furniture Company. Approximately eighteen months after opening their initial store under this partnership, J.J. Haverty moved both his family and the company headquarters westward to St. Louis, Missouri to pursue expansion opportunities and acquired stakes in several smaller showrooms. It was not until 1894 that Haverty returned his family to Atlanta and began traveling extensively to open additional outlets.
On December 1, 1904, Rhodes-Haverty inaugurated a flagship store at the intersection of Whitehall and Mitchell Streets in Atlanta on land previously occupied by Captain William H. Brotherton's dry goods establishment. This new location also absorbed the neighboring Walter J. Wood furniture store.[2] By 1908, the chain had grown to include 17 stores.[1]
Clarence Haverty, son of J.J., assumed a leadership role within the company and sought greater involvement in its operations. Consequently, in November 1908, the Rhodes-Haverty partnership was amicably dissolved with sixteen stores divided between the two parties; Rhodes retained ownership of three Atlanta locations.[3]
J.J. Haverty acquired full ownership of the primary Atlanta store which reverted to its original designation as Haverty Furniture Company.[1] Meanwhile, the premises at 103-111 Whitehall Street (currently known as Peachtree Street SW) operated under the name Rhodes-Wood Furniture Co.[4][5] Amos Rhodes passed away in 1928, leaving behind a significant philanthropic legacy.
Following the dissolution of the partnership, the Rhodes Haverty Investment Company persisted as an entity distinct from Rhodes-Haverty Furniture and lent its name to the 1929 construction of the Rhodes-Haverty Building.[6]
Sellout
By 1990, Rhodes Furniture had expanded to encompass 70 locations. When Heilig-Meyers acquired the company in 1996, Rhodes ranked as the fourth-largest furniture retailer nationwide, generating $430 million in sales. Heilig-Meyers attempted to reposition Rhodes as a more premium brand, but this strategy ultimately alienated customers, leading to a decline in patronage. Consequently, Heilig-Meyers divested Rhodes in 1999.
Liquidation
In 2004, Rhodes Furniture filed for bankruptcy protection, and by the end of 2005, all of its outlets were closed through liquidation. Rooms To Go emerged as the winning bidder at auction, acquiring Rhodes’ 50 stores along with additional assets for $45.8 million. Subsequently, numerous former Rhodes locations reopened under the Broyhill Furniture name.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Haverty, Rawson (1989). Ain't the Roses Sweet. Havertys Furniture Companies, Inc.
- Haverty, Rawson (2006). There’s no place like home. Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc.
- Smith, William Rawson (2006). Villa Clare: The Purposeful Life and Timeless Art Collection of J.J. Haverty. Mercer University Press.
- Answers.com "Havertys Furniture Companies, Inc. profile" Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ "Rhodes Haverty Partnership ends", Atlanta Georgian and News, Nov. 23, 1908, page 1
- ↑ Atlanta Georgian and News, Jan. 28, 1909, p.14
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ "Rhodes-Haverty Building", City of Atlanta Online Archived 2010-11-20 at the Wayback Machine