by Aside from the impact from tariffs, broken supply chains, supply shortages and price increases, our industry often loses sleep worrying over where the next generation of leaders will come from.
Yet many of our leading retailers, including Nebraska Furniture Mart, American Furniture Warehouse, City Furniture, Raymour & Flanigan, Gardner White and others all have bright kids poised to take the wheel and keep those businesses in the passing lane of the fast track.
To be clear, it is not only retailers who have bright family members ready to step up. Michael Amini’s son Kian is just one example of a sharp, polished future star. And so is Jason Phillips of the Phillips Collection, Sydney Harris of Furnitureland South, Cameron Wanek of Ashley and so many more.
As first reported in Home News Now, Kelly Cassady, daughter of Sonny Cassady, founder of Cassady Closeouts, has also stepped up and into the home furnishings ring.
Although Kelly, who has been named director of sales and marketing, grew up around the business, she never imagined she’d one day be running it.
“Honestly, I don’t think my dad ever expected any of his daughters to take over,” Cassady said. “But once I came on board, it just clicked. What started as me helping on a big deal turned into me learning the ropes and eventually taking on more responsibility.”
Furniture runs deep in her family. Her grandfather managed the W.M. Bassett Furniture plant in Martinsville, Virginia, while her grandmother served as his secretary. Several uncles and cousins also have made their careers in the industry. Her father Sonny sold for Ridgeway and Pulaski for over 40 years, while her mother ran a clock shop in Zionsville, Indiana, where Kelly grew up. “I was basically raised in a clock shop,” she laughed. “We sold grandfather clocks, cuckoo clocks, all kinds of gift items. My mom ran the store while my dad was always on the road selling furniture.”
Before joining Cassady Closeouts, Cassady charted her own course in fashion and design. A graduate in fashion design, she founded Under the Seam Sewing Studio, a custom sewing business where she created everything from wedding gowns to reupholstered furniture.
She also worked in New York with designers such as Isaac Mizrahi and in the lingerie sector with Donna Karan-licensed brands. Ultimately, she found the fast-fashion industry unsustainable, preferring to focus on custom design and craftsmanship.
That maker’s mindset now informs her work at Cassady Closeouts.
“I’ve always been a designer and a maker,” she said. “When I came into the furniture business, I realized I could apply the same creativity in a different way.”
Since joining, Kelly has expanded the company’s capabilities, especially on the technology and marketing side. She has introduced digital tools, created graphic-rich sales campaigns and broadened Cassady’s reach through more modern communication strategies.
“I set up systems that let us send out information with visuals to thousands of contacts at once,” she said. “It’s more effective than the old cold-calling approach, especially for a generation that’s more visual.”
She’s also helped diversify the product mix, adding outdoor and modern closeout items alongside the company’s traditional strengths in mattresses and upholstery. Looking ahead, Cassady sees opportunities in continuing to modernize operations and potentially acting as a broker for larger closeout deals that Cassady Closeouts can’t take on alone.
Even as she pushes the company forward, she emphasizes the importance of the lessons she’s learned from her father.
“The biggest thing I’ve taken from working with him is the value of relationships,” she said. “At market, people stop by just to see him, whether or not they’re there to buy. That’s because they trust him. I’ve realized that’s the foundation of this business.”
For his part, Sonny Cassady is understandably proud.
“Kelly brings fresh eyes and new ideas, but she also understands the heart of what we do,” he said. “It’s been rewarding to see her grow into the business.”
As for Kelly Cassady, she admits the journey has been unexpected but deeply rewarding.
“I never thought I’d be in the furniture business,” she said. “But once I started working with my dad, I saw the value in what he built — and I realized I could build on that in my own way. It feels like the right place to be.”
With Sonny’s legacy and Kelly’s vision, Cassady Closeouts is charting a course that blends old-school relationship building with modern strategies — positioning the company to remain a trusted source of value for retailers for years to come.
