In 1910, Richard Ben (R.B.) Levitz opened his first furniture store in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. R.B. and his wife, Sarah, had seven children: Ralph, Sam, Leon, Raze, Blossom, Sidney and Adele. Six of them followed their father into the furniture business. Collectively, they created:
- the first Levitz Furniture stores in Lebanon and Pottstown, Pennsylvania;
- the first Warehouse-Showroom (Sam Levitz Furniture) in Tucson, Arizona;
- the nationwide Levitz Furniture Corporation;
- S.A. Levitz Retail Systems, the furniture computer system now known as GERS;
- Bo Danica in La Jolla, California;
- Cousins Home Furnishings;
- RoomStores of Dallas, Texas;
- RoomStores of Phoenix, Arizona; and
- Ashley Furniture HomeStores of Dallas, Texas.
This year’s honorees for City of Hope’s National Home Furnishings Industry’s West Coast Golf & Tennis Tournament — Sam, Leon, Mike and Shelley Levitz, along with Danny Selznick and Phillip and Alan Levitz — continue to operate the top 100 stores of Sam Levitz Furniture in Tucson, the Ashley HomeStores of Dallas and RoomStores of Phoenix. The family is proud to have helped innovate, streamline and re-invent many phases of the furniture business. Together they wish to acknowledge all the family members, past and present, who have contributed to their many business accomplishments.
