HFA’s Schumacher: ‘If you don’t know Shane Pohlman’s name, you will’

OMAHA, Neb. — The Home Furnishings Assn.’s Emerging Star award is less about one’s tenure in the industry and more about one’s increasing influence.

For example, consider 2024 winner, Shane Pohlman, director of furniture for NFM. He’s been in the industry for more than two decades and in that time has grown in prominence in his company and beyond.

“To me, the keyword is emerging. He’s been in the fabric of NFM for the past few years and has been an integral part of the team. As that’s happened, he’s grown in influence inside their business and growing in influence outside of their business,” HFA CEO Mark Schumacher told Furniture Today.

“He’s showing he’s not just an outstanding furniture professional at NFM, but also he’s a leader, and he’s a name you’re going to hear in the coming years. He’s stepping up and stepping out. If you don’t know Shane Pohlman’s name, you will soon enough.”

Pohlman got his start with NFM, part of Top 100 Berkshire Hathaway’s furniture division, as a part-time sales associate 23 years ago and stuck around. He said some of his earliest challenges came from Jeff Lind, who is now NFM’s chief strategy and development officer.

“I started in Omaha and went to Kansas City and was a sales manager there. He saw something in me and gave me a lot of opportunities,” Pohlman said. “He kept challenging me in new things. He said, ‘Why don’t you go work in merchandising and see what you think of merchandising’.”

“An opportunity came in the distribution center, and he said the same thing: ‘Check it out and work there for a couple of years. Develop the culture.’ I did that,” added Pohlman. “I told him I wanted to get into buying, and he said let’s help you get into buying.

“He was very supportive and always challenging me with things I would have never thought of. He saw something maybe I didn’t see and mentored me along.”

Pohlman also has had plenty of guidance over the years from the venerated Irv Blumkin, NFM’s chairman.

“When I think who is the ideal mentor-coach-partner, that is him. Every day he tries to give you some nugget of wisdom or some experience he’s had that’s going to help you in that moment or in the future. He is truly supportive,” Pohlman said. “A lot of times, he knows the answer, but he’s not going to give you the answer because he wants you to figure it out on your own. But it’s always going to be there to give you help.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with him for many years. I worked with him in merchandising and the appliance side of the business.”

Pohlman said the culture at NFM is what’s enabled him to grow in the business.

“I think our culture in general is about developing talent. We want that talent to stay in our family culture,” he said. “How do we continue to give that individual new opportunities and new challenges if they want a new role, or maybe it’s new challenges in their role. The organization does a good job at that.”

So what’s next? “I want to continue to grow in my current role and be known as somebody who understands the industry, is collaborative and wants to build a partnership between the vendor and the retailer,” he said.

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