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NSU School of Business and Entrepreneurship 2001 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame: Kevin and Keith Koenig

NSU School of Business and Entrepreneurship 2001 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame: Kevin and Keith Koenig

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Description

We all want to have confidence that we are succeeding for the customer, for ourselves, for our associates, for our suppliers, and for the community. A synthesis of all that, I think, is a good entrepreneurial organization. — Keith Koenig

Inductee Biography: Kevin Koenig

In the summer of 1971 founder, Kevin Koenig, set out to accomplish one mission: open his first waterbed store. With just $1,500 in his pocket, and an MBA from Florida Atlantic University, Kevin opened the first Waterbed City. Waterbed City started as a 900-square-foot showroom—selling waterbed structures Kevin sold by day and made by hand at night. His business insight, quality products, and superior service led to growth and a partnership with his brother Keith Koenig, current CEO, along with Garry Ikola, current CSO, and Steve Wilder, current CFO/CIO.

After 23 years of consistent growth, the waterbed industry had reached its plateau. Waterbed City evolved into CITY Furniture in 1994—offering not just bedroom furniture, but a full line of home furnishings to include living and dining room furniture, wall units, home theatre, and ready-to-assemble furniture.

Inductee Biography: Keith Koenig

Keith T. Koenig is CEO and owner of City Furniture which was co-founded by Keith and his late brother, Kevin Koenig. City Furniture is a $500 million enterprise with 19 City Furniture and 14 Ashley Furniture HomeStores in South and Central Florida, and a 900,000-square-foot headquarters and distribution facility in Tamarac. City Furniture is South Florida’s leading furniture retailer and employs more than 2,000 Associates plus 70 more in the manufacturing subsidiary, Kevin Charles Fine Upholstery, in New Albany, Mississippi.

Mr. Koenig is a member of the board of directors of the Miami Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and is Chairman of the Broward Workshop. He is a Board Member of Holy Cross Hospital and serves on the Orange Bowl Committee and the Florida Council of 100. He received a BS degree in 1973 and an MBA degree in 1975 from the University of Florida. He received the 2001 Furniture Retailer of the Year award, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2003, and the University of Florida’s Distinguished Alumnus award in 2017, and was inducted into the Furniture Hall of Fame in 2018. Keith is married to Kelly and has 2 children and five grandchildren.

Original Date

2001

Date Digitized

5-24-2024

Keywords

Ashley Furniture HomeStores, Broward Workshop, business biography, business growth, CITY Furniture, Central Florida, corporate evolution, entrepreneurial organization, entrepreneurship, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Council of 100, furniture retail, Garry Ikola, home furnishings, Holy Cross Hospital, Keith Koenig, Kevin Charles Fine Upholstery, Kevin Koenig, manufacturing, New Albany, Mississippi, Orange Bowl Committee, retail management, South Florida, South Florida business, Steve Wilder, Tamarac, upholstery, Waterbed City, waterbed industry

Disciplines

Business | Higher Education

Original Format

VHS

Run Time

00:10:52

Repository

NSU Archives, Nova Southeastern University

NSU School of Business and Entrepreneurship 2001 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame: Kevin and Keith Koenig

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