In 1987, Andrew Martens and John Hodgens started selling furniture and antiques under the name Antique and Oak at the Pinery Flea Market in Grand Bend and also out of John’s garage in Exeter. In 1991, they built a furniture showroom on Andrew’s dad’s property. It wasn’t long before the antiques took a backseat to Mennonite custom-built furniture and four years later they opened a showroom in Sarnia at 1880 London Line. In 1996 John left the business. In 1997 Andrew moved the business to 1845 London Line and also added the La-Z-Boy brand. His brother Henry joined the business in 2001 and they built a second furniture showroom at 34047 Zurich Hensall Road. Since the antiques were no longer a part of the business, they changed the name to Forever Furniture Galleries.

Forever Furniture Galleries focuses on Canadian-made solid wood furniture for dining rooms and bedrooms. They specialize in customized furniture which includes wood types, stains, textures, fabrics and leather. “We create what the customer wants. Our goal is to create your home, your way, with our help,” explains owner Henry Martens. “Forever Furniture’s brands now include La-Z-Boy, Palliser, Decor-Rest and Ashley products, as well as a number of other Canadian manufacturers. We have interior decorators on staff and provide free design services in-store or at home.”

Forever Furniture is constantly monitoring the marketplace to bring their customers the latest trends, colour, styles and fabrics. “The most important part of Forever Furniture is the relationships we have developed with our customers over the years. We are very proud of our sales and administrative staff and all of our employees,” Martens explains. “They are professional and efficient and put value into each and every customer. We continue to receive positive feedback about our courteous delivery staff. Our Customer Service is one of the cornerstones of our business.”

After Andrew Martens passed suddenly in 2016, Henry and his wife, Brenda, assumed responsibility for the company in 2018. “This company was Andrew’s passion. From starting in a garage to what it is today, it is our goal to honor his vision to provide quality customized furniture as well as excellent service with affordability in mind.”

Henry and Brenda are committed to donating 10% of business profits to community organizations and missions. “We have been blessed as a family and a business and want to bless others in return.”