Coon Rapids, Minn. (February 6, 2023) HOM Furniture is pleased to announce its 2022 Vendor of the Year recipient: Jonathon Louis; and the 2022 Manufacturer’s Representative of the Year award recipient: Landon and Katie Brook Varner from Southern Motion. The awards acknowledge key partners with proven commitment to product and service excellence, as well as product category growth. The awards were presented by Kyle Johansen, Executive Director of Merchandising and Marketing for HOM Furniture, at HOM’s annual awards banquet this month at The Depot in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Vendor of the Year award is given to the vendor who demonstrates the highest level of commitment to HOM Furniture and its success in the marketplace. The winner, Jonathan Louis, has been a partner of HOM’s since 2000, offering a wide selection of furniture including stylish and quality living room and bedroom furniture. The company boasts a fabric selection of more than 500 options, ranging from trendy patterns to family-friendly fabrics. Most recently, the Jonathan Louis team created the Design lab, a fun and interactive way to allow designers and associates to work with their clients by creating a sofa or upholstered bed from the ground up.

“Jonathan Louis has been one of the most significant partners HOM has had over the past 20 years. Since being introduced at HOM, Jonathan Louis products have been amongst the most successful and popular upholstery lines.” said Kyle Johansen. “Of course, they are not winning this award based on their past success. This past year, Jonathan Louis was one of the most successful vendors on our floor. Not only did the company have a positive 20% variance in sales compared to our overall business, but they had their biggest sales year ever with HOM Furniture! It is partners like Jonathan Louis that allow HOM to stay ahead of our competition and continue to be the leader in our marketplace.”

The Manufacturer’s Representative of the Year award is given to the representative that offers outstanding service in all aspects. This includes timely service, detailed training, meticulous follow up and an overall sense of professionalism. Landon Varner served as an apprentice under our lead Southern Motion rep in 2015. Then in 2017, he became our full-time rep with a partner—who just happens to be his better half, Katie Brook.

“Our buyers enjoy working with Landon and Katie Brook. They are two down-to-earth people who listen to our needs and make suggestions that will improve our sales with Southern Motion. They know their product line and can provide thoughtful feedback to our buyers, and also work well with our sales teams,” said Johansen. “Of course, being personable isn’t enough to win this award. We need substantive business success as well, and Landon and Katie Brook have provided it. Since 2017 when they took on the account, the annual sales revenue has grown over 150%. Southern Motion has steadily grown their business every year including this past year, and we look forward to continuing to grow our businesses together in the future.”

About HOM Furniture

HOM Furniture ranks as one of the nation’s largest furniture retailers serving customers in the upper Midwestern states of Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Stop in yourself and find out why “There’s No Place Like HOM.”