WASHINGTON — Louis Leonard Glickfield, the founder of Marlo Furniture Co. retail chain, died Aug. 15 at the age of 92.
As a child of the Depression, Glickfield went from selling used furniture out of the back of a truck to overseeing the creation of five Marlo Furniture warehouse showrooms throughout the metropolitan area, with more than 800,000 square feet of space.
Glickfield built his first warehouse showroom in Forestville, Md., in 1972 to compete with Levitz Furniture, which was slated to enter the DC-area market with three warehouse showrooms.
After the Forestville store and the already existing flagship store on 7th and I Streets NW, he went on to create warehouse showrooms in Alexandria/Springfield, Va.; and Laurel and Rockville, Md., employing more than 600 people.
His business strategy was to buy close-outs from the major furniture manufacturers and other items on very favorable terms so he could pass along the savings to Marlo clients, advertising aggressively.
Over the years, Marlo Furniture was named a Top 50 retailer by Furniture Today, received the Showcase Retailer of the Year award from GE Retail System, and Glickfield was named to the Maryland-DC Furniture Hall of Fame and Retailer of the Decade from the Home Furnishings Representative Assn.
Glickfield married Marilyn Holober in 1953, and the couple was married for 71 years. He is survived by four children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be 10 a.m., Aug. 20, at Washington Hebrew Congregation, 3935 Macomb St. NW, Washington DC, with burial to follow at King David Cemetery, Falls Church, Va.
Donations may be made in Glickfield’s memory to the ADL.
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