Delaware Business Times held their Inaugural Family-Owned Business Awards event June 24th, 2015 recognizing some of Delaware’s top family-owned businesses.  Urban Furniture Outlet was recognized as a Finalist in the Family-Owned Businesses with Fewer than 25 employees.  The recognition was especially meaningful while Urban Furniture Outlet celebrates their 25th year of business serving Delaware and April 2015 opening of their 2nd location, a 23,000 sq. foot showroom in Dover, Delaware.

Family-Owned Business AwardsThe company was started by Richard Urban, a Polish immigrant who left his job as a steel worker 25yrs ago to start up Contract Liquidators, a retail furniture and mattress store in hopes to bring a better life to his family.  Urban knew that Delaware needed a place where folks could buy good quality furniture at affordable prices.  He simplified the furniture shopping experience.   Stock the styles you show.  Offer your best price up front.  Cut out pushy sales staff, and instead offer friendly no-hassle sales persons.  Word spread quickly that Contract Liquidators was the place to go for great deals on furniture and mattresses.

The business grew in success over the years.  In 2004, owner Richard Urban was diagnosed with cancer and his son Nicholas Urban who had grown up in the business, came back on board from his career to help his father.  Nicholas took over the business when his father died in 2008.  It was a difficult time for everyone, but the goal was to keep the doors open.  A small business, employees and the community were dependent on Contract Liquidators staying open .   Urban later made the decision to change the name to Urban Furniture Outlet to honor his father’s name.  With a loyal, hard working staff, and Urban’s accounting and business background, the business not only kept doors open – it grew.

Today, Urban Furniture Outlet has grown from a staff of 6 to 16 and has recently opened their 2nd location in Dover, Delaware.   A lot has changed, but many things have stayed the same.  Stock what you show.  Offer the best prices upfront.  Provide a friendly no-hassle furniture shopping experience.   In addition, Urban Furniture Outlet boasts an extensive and user-friendly website, a friendly customer-focused staff, 2 showroom locations, and has doubled the number of manufacturers carried for mattresses and furniture.  Urban works hard to find the best deals from today’s top brands and carries over those savings to customers by offering everyday low prices. Through it all, the business has stayed true to Richard Urban’s vision to keep things simple and in doing so has found success.