Norton, MA, November 15, 2000 — Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture, one of the fastest growing furniture retailers in the country with stores in Cambridge, Everett, Saugus, Westboro, and Weymouth, has been named “Retailer of the Year” by the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. Bernie and Phyllis Rubin, founders of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture, received the 2000 RAMAE (Retailers Association of Massachusetts Award of Excellence) Award at a special luncheon today at the Parker House in Boston.

The Retailers Association of Massachusetts presents five Awards of Excellence each year to retailers who excel in the categories of Retailer of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Community Service, Display, and Advertising and Promotion. The Retailer of the Year Award is the organization’s most prestigious award since it recognizes a retailer’s overall outstanding achievements.

Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture was started by the Rubin family in 1983, and has since grown from a small storefront into one of the fastest growing furniture retailers in the country with five Massachusetts stores and over 200 employees. The company has attained an astounding 260 percent growth in the past five years and grew a record 76.7 percent in 1999. With a focus on high quality furniture at great prices, the family-run business has created a highly successful niche in a competitive marketplace. Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture was named for the first time this year to the list of Top 100 U.S. Furniture Stores, which is compiled by Furniture/Today magazine.

“We are very excited to be receiving this prestigious award. This has been an amazing year for our company and it is wonderful to have our accomplishments recognized by our peers in the industry,” said Bernie Rubin, president and co-founder of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture. “This is truly an honor.”

“Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture is really a phenomenon in the industry and was the clear choice as our Retailer of the Year,” said Rick Segel, president of Segel & Associates and member of the RAMAE Awards Committee. “They have experienced unbelievable growth for a young company. They have built an amazing team of loyal and dedicated employees who care passionately about the company because everyone there is treated like a part of the family. They give customers what they want – beautiful, high quality furniture that they can afford and incredible customer service. They are very involved in the community and giving back to people in need. They are succeeding on every front, which puts them in a category that deserves to be recognized as our Retailer of the Year.”

This is the third year that the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, which has over 1,500 members, has given out its annual RAMAE Awards. Past Retailer of the Year Award winners include Spags and Especially for Pets.

Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture is the largest privately owned furniture retailer in Massachusetts. Based in Norton, MA, the company has five Massachusetts stores in Cambridge, Everett, Saugus (50,000 square foot superstore), Westboro (42,000 square foot superstore), and Weymouth. The company had $45.5 million in sales in 1999 and currently employs over 200 people.