Art Van Furniture Is Entering The Windy City This Week with The Grand Opening of Its First

Art Van Furniture is entering the Windy City this week with the grand opening of its first store here. The move marks the Top 100 company's first full-line store expansion outside its home state of Michigan, and it's celebrating with a Motown-style, by-invitation party at the 47,000-square-foot store on South La Grange Road Thursday followed by family day events Saturday."We are thrilled to be part of the Chicago market and offer unprecedented quality, value, and customer service," Art Van Elslander, founder and chairman of the Warren Mich.-based chain said in a release."We want to thank the Orland Park community by hosting an event where families can come have fun and meet our Art Van Furniture family."Grand opening festivities will include face painting, clowns and balloon artists. Consumers also will be eligible for the chance to win a $5,000 shopping spree and a trip to Disney World.Among the suppliers and brands featured in the showroom are Bassett's HGTV Home Furniture Collection; Broyhill, Roma Leather, La-Z-Boy and Cindy Crawford Home, first developed by Top 100 company Rooms To Go.The store will add about 100 sales, delivery and management jobs, the company said. And that's just the first. Five more are planned over the next few months in Ford City-Chicago; Batavia, Ill; Bolingbrook, Ill; Elston Avenue-Chicago; and Merrillville-Hobart, bringing 600 jobs to the area.Earlier this month, the company cut the ribbon on its new 183,000-square-foot distribution center in Bolingbrook, Ill., which will serve the new market and employ 48 people.