Art Van Furniture

PE-Owned1 Documented Impact

Thomas H. Lee used sale-leaseback of Art Van's own properties to fund 70% of the buyout. Liquidated within 3 years.

Founded: 1959|Acquired by Thomas H. Lee Partners (2017)$612.5 million
8
locations tracked

Ownership Information

Art Van Furniture is owned by Thomas H. Lee Partners. Private equity ownership often leads to cost-cutting, price increases, and reduced quality of service as firms prioritize returns for investors over customers and employees.Learn more about PE ownership impact →

Timeline

1959

Art Van Furniture founded

2017

Acquired by Thomas H. Lee Partners for $612.5 million

2020CriticalClosure / Bankruptcy

Art Van Furniture liquidated 3 years after Thomas H. Lee's sale-leaseback buyout

Thomas H. Lee used sale-leaseback of Art Van's own properties to fund 70% of the $612.5M buyout. Loaded $254M in new debt. Aggressive expansion cannibalized existing locations. All 169 stores liquidated.

Before vs. After PE Acquisition

Store count

Reported 2020

Before PE

169 stores

After PE

0 (liquidated)

100%

Tracked Locations

CA (1)

Los Angeles

2210 Main St

Los Angeles, CA 90001

555-582-7907

FL (1)

Orlando

308 Main St

Orlando, FL 32801

555-981-6603

IL (2)

Chicago

6548 Main St

Chicago, IL 60601

555-184-7593

Chicago

4312 Main St

Chicago, IL 60601

555-549-7959

IN (1)

Indianapolis

3865 Main St

Indianapolis, IN 46201

555-979-5718

NC (1)

Raleigh

5519 Main St

Raleigh, NC 27601

555-630-8023

PA (1)

Philadelphia

5599 Main St

Philadelphia, PA 19019

555-805-4104

WA (1)

Seattle

1622 Main St

Seattle, WA 98101

555-531-3649