South Florida Business and Wealth recently honored Andrew Koenig, chief executive officer of City Furniture, with its 2022 Diversity and Inclusion Award.
“We’re both thrilled and humbled to have been selected by the committee for the diversity and inclusion award,” Koenig said. “It is a true honor to be recognized. At City, we embrace a philosophy of diversity, equity and inclusion, and believe that is what allows us to innovate, collaborate and grow as a community-focused company.”
SFBW’s Diversity & Inclusion Awards recognizes individuals across sectors, ranging from business and finance to healthcare and education, as well as non-profit organizations, community advocates and civic leadership.
Awards were given for efforts by both teams and individuals alike, recognizing influential citizens and civil servants in the areas of diversity, inclusion and overall equality in the workplace and the community. The annual event honors top executives throughout South Florida who display an ongoing dedication to a more equitable society.
As CEO of City, Koenig works to ensure diversity and inclusion strategies are integrated in all operations, and for Koenig, it starts with recruiting and hiring. Diverse backgrounds in the workplace bring different perspectives, ideas, skills, experiences and work styles which cultivate innovation and problem-solving, and contribute to everyone’s success, according to the news release.
To accomplish diversity in recruiting talent, the South Florida-based, family-owned furniture and mattress retailer collaborates with several community partners and veteran organizations. As the company continues to grow and expand, Koenig remains vigilant that their workforce represents the communities they serve.
In 2021, City added a dedicated DE&I budget, developing key DE&I metrics to measure improvement in relation to goals, maintaining DE&I resource centers and important messaging within City’s internal communications platforms. The company also enhanced social media with inclusive content, establishing partnerships with DE&I related companies and organizations, and developing a sourcing strategy for minority suppliers.
Koenig is a firm believer all associates should feel welcomed, respected, appreciated, valued, safe and are given opportunities to grow, according to the news release. Because of this, City is intentional in its efforts to build and foster an inclusive workforce, offering Employee Resource Groups dedicated to addressing the needs of associates of various ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations and more. (City’s ERGs are not only open to associates who identify with that community, but also to their allies.) The company works to expand perspectives and have open dialogue around people’s differences to help associates gain a greater understanding and appreciation for one another.
