m. farooq kathwari
Farooq Kathwari (b. 1944) has been the driving force behind Ethan Allen, a leading manufacturer and retailer of high quality home furnishings and interior design services. As president, chairman and CEO, his distinguished leadership is further demonstrated through his service to the industry, the community and the world.
Mr. Kathwari came to the U.S. from his native Kashmir as a student at age 21. He worked at a printing company while earning his MBA in international marketing from New York University. On the side, he sold hand-crafted decorative accessories from Kashmir. In 1973, Mr. Kathwari and Ethan Allen formed a joint venture company to develop home accessories. The company merged with Ethan Allen in 1980. Mr. Kathwari became president in 1985 and chairman and CEO in 1988. In 1989, he led a management buyout of Ethan Allen and took the company public in 1993.
Under his leadership, Ethan Allen has become a trend-setting, award-winning leader in home furnishings and interior design offering a full-range of furniture and decorative accessories through a network of 290 design centers in the U.S. and abroad. Of those, 159 are company-owned. Ethan Allen operates eight manufacturing facilities, including two sawmills, in the U.S. and one in Mexico. In 2008, Ethan Allen opened its flagship Design Center in Manhattan, and in 2009, launched Ethan Allen Contract.
Throughout his career, Mr. Kathwari has diligently served the home furnishings industry, as well as many humanitarian causes.