Ethan Allen's Farooq Kathwari Inducted into American Furniture Hall of Fame

Mr. Kathwari stated, "It is an honor to be recognized by peers in our industry. During the last 36 years I have had the privilege of working closely with many of our industry leaders on issues that affect our industry." Mr. Kathwari further stated, "This recognition also reflects the contributions of my associates at Ethan Allen, who have helped me in re-inventing a great American classic brand."

The American Furniture Hall of Fame stated, "Farooq Kathwari 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 United States 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. 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 approximately 300 design centers in the United States and abroad.

"Throughout his career, Mr. Kathwari has served the home furnishings industry, as well as many humanitarian causes. He is the former chairman of the National Retail Federation and the American Home Furnishings Alliance. Among his many honors are the "Outstanding American by Choice Award" from the United States Government; the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal; Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award; the National Retail Federation's Gold Medal Award, and he was named one of Worth Magazine's "Best CEOs in the United States." Mr. Kathwari also holds two honorary doctorate degrees."

The American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. is an international industry-wide organization founded to research, collect and preserve cultural, economic and artistic history, as well as to honor those individuals whose outstanding achievements have contributed to the continued growth and development of the U. S. furniture industry.

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (NYSE:ETH) is a leading interior design company and manufacturer and retailer of quality home furnishings. The Company offers free interior design service to its clients and sells a full range of furniture products and decorative accessories through ethanallen.com and a network of approximately 300 Design Centers and Design Studios in the United States and abroad. Ethan Allen owns and operates six manufacturing facilities in the United States, which includes one sawmill, and one manufacturing facility in Mexico, and manufactures approximately sixty-five percent of its products in its United States plants. For more information on Ethan Allen's products and services, visit ethanallen.com.

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SOURCE: Ethan Allen

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. 
November Rawlings, 203-743-8293 
nrawlings@ethanalleninc.com