Jun 10, 2020
Irv Blumkin is the CEO of Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM) where he started working at the age of 8. He returned from college to rejoin the family business after earning his Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Arizona in 1974. Since then, he has been instrumental in the operations, growth, and expansion of the business which has led to what it is today. He is one of the grandsons of the legendary Mrs. B, founder of NFM.
Ron Blumkin is the Chairman of Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM).
Ron is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and he
joined NFM after serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1970-1972.
Before being named Chairman in 2017, Ron served as NFM's President
and Chief Operating Officer for more than 30 years and oversaw the
company's growth from a single Omaha store to the establishment of
their stores in Kansas City, Des Moines and The Colony, Texas.
In this episode…
The Nebraska Furniture Mart that we know today is made from a journey built on courage, tenacity, and love. NFM Founder Mrs. B escaped a revolution in Russia and arrived in the United States on a peanut boat in Seattle, and she would later take a $500 loan from a relative which she used to start her now legendary company. Mrs. B started Nebraska Furniture in the basement of her husband's pawn shop, and the rest of her amazing story started to unfold.
Her grandsons and third-generation Blumkins, Irv and Ron, have a wealth of memories and experiences to share as they are now at the helm of their family business. They themselves are instrumental in bringing the company into what it is today and they say, it’s all part of being legacies of their family matriarch. share the back story of NFM and their growth phases over the years. They tell so many inspiring stories, including when Mrs. B was sued by her competitors for sticking to her principle to sell cheap, tell the truth, give customers good deals, and run an honest, ethical business.
In this episode of I Am Home Podcast as Tyler Wisecup, Becca Sudbeck, and Hilary Woltemath interviews third-generation Blumkins, Irv and Ron, about what it’s like to grow up in a family business that has touched many lives. They share inspiring stories of Mrs. B and her philosophies and business ethics, lessons imparted by their father, Louie Blumkin, on overcoming adversities and finding success in their endeavours, and more. Stay tuned.