Art Van Furniture is a family-owned company that started with one small, 4,000 square-foot store in 1959.

Since its inception, Art Van's philosophy of doing business has been to provide guests with quality furniture at prices lower than competing discount stores and at the same time, offer a full range of services that could only be found at specialty or department stores.

Area consumers embraced this formula of high quality, low prices and complete guest service. Over the years, Art Van added stores throughout the state, making it Michigan's largest furniture retailer and America's largest independent furniture retailer. Yet it remains a family-owned business dedicated to the tradition of total guest satisfaction.

Today, Art Van Furniture operates 30 stores in 29 cities throughout Michigan and employs approximately 3000 associates. We have received many accolades from various organizations, recognizing our commitment to quality and the community. The National Home Furnishings Association named Art Van Elslander, chairman, the 1998 Retailer of the Year, while the Michigan Retailer's Association named the company 2000 Retailer of the Year. In 2001, Van Elslander was inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame, and Detroit News readers have voted Art Van Furniture Michigan’s Best Home Furnishings Store since 2003.

In acknowledgement of our green efforts, the Michigan Retailers Association named Art Van Furniture a 2007 GreenTailer. This inaugural honor is given to retailers who are protecting the environment by adopting energy
conservation and Earth-friendly practices. Here are some of the steps we are taking to help leave a smaller
environmental footprint:

• Installed Energy Management Systems in our stores that decreases our yearly utility usage by 15%
• Recycles 400 tons of cardboard, 35 tons of plastic, 15 tons of steel/metal and 3 tons of office waste
  on a monthly basis
• Built an automated warehouse that created a much smaller footprint than a traditional warehouse and operates using 75% less lighting, heating and cooling
• Formulated care kits for leather, wood and hard surfaces that are water based, biodegradable, non-hazardous and non-toxic
• Donates a portion of the proceeds from the sales of our exclusive Grand Shores Collection to the Water Quality Protection Fund of Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality
• Partnered with NextEnergy to test B20 (biodiesel) in two of our trucks under different conditions. The results will be used to help set national standards for this alternative fuel, which is made from renewable resources
• Disposes of used mattresses by using a specially designed shredder that helps reduce the volume of material sent to landfills.
• Donated 7600 trees in 2007 and 2008 for Arbor Day initiatives.

We believe that everyone has a role to play when it comes to helping the environment and that it only takes a little effort to make a big impact. The same philosophy holds true for our customers. To this day, Art Van Furniture still delivers the same exceptional customer service it did when it first opened its doors. And we look forward to being part of your lives for many years to come.