Darvin Furniture showcased as a regional economic anchor during Orland Park event; ESOP, delivery safety and Riviera plans highlighted

Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge and Will Harris, president of Darvin Furniture, hosted a public visit at Darvin’s Orland Park store where company leaders described how the 220,000‑square‑foot location draws shoppers from across Chicagoland and nearby states, and outlined Darvin’s employee ownership model and operations.

The village highlighted Darvin’s role as a local economic anchor and thanked the company for community support. "We use a data source that tells us how big the area is that we draw customers from," the mayor said, noting the store brings visitors into Orland Park. Harris said the store has long been a regional draw and described its on‑site inventory, in‑store displays and services that keep customers coming: "We're all kind of part of the family here today," he said.

Why it matters: The company’s claims about wide trade‑area pull and on‑site services matter to local economic development because retail destinations that attract out‑of‑area shoppers can increase local spending and sales‑tax receipts. Officials also flagged the village’s acquisition of the vacant Riviera property as a parallel community investment that will require additional planning and public input.

Harris traced the Orland Park location’s local history to about 1980 and described how Darvin’s marketing and in‑store experience draw customers from outside the immediate area. He said the company leaned on online sales during the pandemic — noting a spike in web revenue — and set up a dedicated call center to handle essential furniture and medical‑need deliveries during that period. "In April of that year, we did a million and a half in business. The following month, we did 5½ million in sales just on the website," Harris said, describing a rapid digital pivot.

Employee ownership and workplace culture were central themes. Harris explained Darvin operates an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan): "Our employees all get — once they qualify — they get shares of the company every year," he said, adding the ownership structure encourages staff to look for cost savings and improvements. Harris gave a concrete example of a staff member finding a lower price on packing labels that the company estimates saved about $14,000 a year.

Store operations and consumer protections were also discussed. Harris described the company's delivery and safety practices, saying drivers undergo regular background checks and customers receive driver photos and tracking texts. He described Darvin’s warranty performance as high: "By and large we fulfill all of them — it's over 80%, 86% of the time so far this year," he said. An audience member asked whether Darvin removes customers’ old furniture; Harris replied Darvin generally does not remove old furniture (except mattresses) because disposal and recycling costs make it uneconomic.

The village and company also discussed the vacant Riviera property. Officials said the village has moved to secure the asset and will work with consultants and the community to determine programming — possible ideas included senior programming, an indoor walking track or indoor practice space — but no final plan has been announced. "We have to go do some thinking," one official said, describing the next steps as community engagement and consultant work.

Harris and staff described other customer services: multilingual website options (English, Spanish and Polish), an in‑store immersive home‑theater display, interior‑design packages (including a free design option on larger orders), and experimenting with AI tools for product placement and design suggestions. He said Darvin continues to expand its online capabilities while encouraging in‑store visits for product tryouts.

The event closed with thanks from the mayor and an invitation for attendees to continue questions and shop the store; Harris also noted ongoing sales and promotional items. Officials stressed that the Riviera acquisition and any future use will be subject to further study and community input.

Next steps: Village leaders said they will solicit community feedback and consultant analysis on the Riviera property before deciding programming; Darvin will continue store operations, customer service offerings and outreach to the Orland Park community.