| In 1932, two New Yorkers, Theodore Baumritter and | | | | and they ran their first series of nationwide television |
| his brother-in-law Nathan Ancell, founded The | | | | ads. During this time in the early 70's, they also |
| Baumritter Corp, which was a house wares sales | | | | moved their headquarters from New York City to |
| agency. This was during what is considered by many | | | | Danbury, Connecticut. Additionally, around this time, |
| as the worst year of the great depression, and | | | | they started producing draperies, wallpaper, oriental |
| unfortunately, people just didn't have the extra | | | | rugs, and broadloom carpeting. |
| money for their house wares at that time. | | | | In 1988, M. Fahrooq Kathwari took over Ancell's spot |
| Consequently, at first Baumritter and Ancell ended up | | | | as chair and chief executive. Around 1985, when the |
| losing a lot of the money that they had originally | | | | company realized that Early American Furniture |
| invested into the company. In 1936, they bought a | | | | wasn't in high demand anymore, they set out to |
| furniture factory located in Beecher Falls, Vermont. | | | | create some new furniture designs that were met |
| Ancell and Baumritter quickly fell in love with | | | | with great success. Just to name a few there was |
| Vermont. They decided to name their furniture | | | | the American Dimensions line which focused on |
| company Ethan Allen after the Vermont revolutionary | | | | accenting geometric shapes, Country Crossings which |
| leader. In 1939, their furniture line made their grand | | | | showcased rustic looking furniture, and the Legacy |
| debut inside stores. | | | | line which was modeled after Italian architecture. In |
| Their first collection was a grouping of 28 pieces of | | | | 1991, Ethan Allen started offering wall decor, bedding, |
| Early American furniture. By 1962, Ancell and | | | | textiles, lamps, and other home decor items to their |
| Baumritter owned 14 furniture factories in the East. | | | | store. |
| By the middle of the 1960's, The Baumritter Corp had | | | | In 2008, Ethan Allen's products became available to |
| by far the largest group of furniture in the world, | | | | purchase over the internet. An interesting fact to |
| with a 1,600-piece line to choose from. Also by the | | | | note is that over seventy percent of their cherry, |
| mid 1960's, there were approximately 700 Ethan Allen | | | | maple and alder wood pieces of made in the United |
| stores in the United States. They also had Ethan Allen | | | | States. Over the years, Ethan Allen has become a |
| stores by that time in Switzerland, the Netherlands, | | | | tremendously successful company. As of June 2008, |
| Belgium, France, Australia, and Canada. In 1970, | | | | they were said to have sales of approximately |
| Baumritter retired. In 1972, The Baumritter Corp | | | | $980.0 million, with a net income of $58.1 million! |
| officially changed its name to Ethan Allen Industries, | | | | |