A high point of last week’s Summit 21 proceedings was the announcement of this year’s AVB/BrandSource scholarship award winners.

It is with sadness and heavy hearts that BrandSource learned of the passing of longtime friend and business associate Jim Oakley. He died on March 13 at the age of 72.

BrandSource member Famous Tate held its annual Sales Awards ceremony last week and, like most large events recently, it was conducted online.

YSN columnist Rich Lindblom’s essay on complacency (see “The No. 1 Reason Stores Fail”) struck a chord with this BrandSource member, who responded with the following comments. He asked that he remain anonymous.

Most people heard about the frigid, record-breaking temperatures that took over the entire state of Texas late last month, and for those living there it was a nightmare they won’t soon forget.

Bill Pleasants Sr. joined an exclusive club this week: He became an octogenarian.

Frank’s Appliance Center and Sleep Source has been serving the needs of customers in and around the towns of Bradley and Manteno, Ill., since 1961.

BrandSource welcomes Ohio’s Turney & Dunham Appliances to our extended family of independent dealers.

The Super Bowl is one of the few remaining “collective experiences” left in America. It is the one day out of the year when it is a pretty good bet most everyone you know will be doing the same thing you are at the same time.

Charles Danto of Danto Furniture in Detroit celebrated his 90th birthday last month.

BrandSource dealers often come into their businesses as descendants of a family member who owned or started their companies. Not so Randy Clark of iDeal Furniture of Tacoma, who began his career in the military.

How many businesses can say they have been owned by one family, operated under one name, and served its customers from one location for over 90 years? The short answer … not many!