HARRISBURG, Pa. — Furniture First will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a gala dinner event on April 5, the opening day of the High Point Market, at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C.

Invitations have been sent to the buying cooperative's 211 retailer member-owners, manufacturer and service partners and others in the industry.

Furniture First was founded in 1994 by a small group of independent furniture retailers who joined together to better compete with national furniture chains. Through collective buying power and the sharing of best business practices, "members have thrived in increasingly competitive markets," the group said in a release.

Today, the group's members operate 446 stores in 47 states with combined estimated annual sales last year of $1.7 billion.

To mark the anniversary event, Furniture First is also launching a new logo, designed by Martin Roberts of Martin Roberts Design. Roberts has designed stores for more than 20 of the group's members and also is consulting with members as they launch Furniture First's new Mattress 1st bedding store concept.

In addition to the gala, the buying group will hold its general membership and annual meeting during the High Point Market on the morning of April 7. Additional events to be held in the group's High Point showroom in the International Home Furnishings Center, space G-770, will be announced soon.

Furniture First bills itself as a national "home furnishings and mattress only" buying group, serving full-line independent retailers with sales of more than $2 million.