Loves Furniture, a new retail chain that formed when a private equity firm recently bought 27 Art Van, Levin and Wolf outlets in bankruptcy court, is looking to hire 1,000 workers in three states — including people to staff at the Mt. Pleasant store that for a century served as Levin’s flagship location.
The new Michigan-based company expects to begin opening stores in former Levin’s sites in McMurray, Mt. Pleasant and Robinson as well as former Wolf Furniture stores in Altoona, Harrisburg and State College beginning in late September, a spokeswoman said. Former Art Van locations in Michigan could open in late summer.
“We are building a totally new customer experience rooted in personalized service. We are looking for great talent, at all levels, to join us on this journey,” said Matt Damiani, CEO of Loves Furniture & Mattresses. “Our team members will have the opportunity to help customers build homes and spaces they love in a collaborative environment where everyone can thrive.”
The new company is named for Jeff Love, the founder and CEO of Texas-based US Assets, the equity firm that bought the stores.
Levin’s comeback
The Loves Furniture stores, including the one in Mt. Pleasant where Sam Levin launched his family’s chain in 1920, are opening as Robert Levin, the founder’s grandson, works to resurrect the family brand he sold to Art Van three years ago. In May, Robert Levin reached a $25.7 million deal through a bankruptcy court to buy back 32 Levin and Wolf furniture outlets.
Levin, 63, of Squirrel Hill and business partners John and Matt Schultz have since reopened former Levin’s furniture and mattress stores in Wexford, Monroeville, Hempfield, Curry Hollow and 13 other locations in and around Pittsburgh and Cleveland. They added a furniture and mattress outlet in Niles, Ohio, last month.
A company spokesman said Levin’s had hired 450 former employees last month and hoped to increase hires and reopen additional outlets this year.
Levin said he was unable to secure a deal for the Mt. Pleasant store and several other Pennsylvania outlets that were sold as a package before his deal was approved.
“I offered to take the Pittsburgh stores off of them, but they weren’t interested,” Levin told the Tribune-Review.
Loves: Help wanted
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Loves Furniture said the company has hired 350 people and is looking to fill additional posts in customer service, digital and IT, finance, marketing, merchandising, corporate operations, store leadership, store operations and store sales.
Specific posts are listed on the Loves job site.
