Remember waterbeds? What was that about? If you or perhaps your parents slept on one, say back in the ’70s, chances are it came from Waterbed City.
What also came from Waterbed City?
CITY Furniture — which emerged from the South Florida waterbed brand in 1994 and, under the leadership of CEO Andrew Koenig, has developed into one of the top 20 furniture retailers in the country.
Now, everything from the mattress on the bed to the decor on the wall are sold in the family-owned company’s 23 showrooms across the state — as well as via an interactive e-commerce site that gives shoppers an augmented-reality projection of how any of its items will actually look in their home. Plus, the company operates 14 Ashley Home Store showrooms as the brand’s licensee in parts of Florida.
Koenig is the son of Keith Koenig and nephew to Kevin Koenig, the founders of Waterbed City. Beginning his full-time CITY Furniture career unloading containers in the Receiving Department in 2006, he has worked his way up through almost all divisions of the company.
Before coming on board, Koenig became a devotee of Lean Philosophy, which he’s described as “based on principles such as eliminating waste, creating knowledge and respecting people.” He studied the methodology at Toyota’s headquarters in Japan and learned from other companies here and abroad. Koenig brought Lean Thinking home to CITY Furniture in 2007, and since then, he and his team have created breakthroughs in streamlining operations, customer experience, safety and other areas.
Going hand-in-hand with Koenig’s Lean emphasis is good corporate citizenship.
“In the past year, we remained true to our Corporate Social Responsibility goals, reaching significant milestones across various initiatives,” Koenig said recently in releasing CITY Furniture’s annual CSR report, which reviews sustainability, giving and other programs.
“The hard work and dedication of our team, combined with our focus on customer satisfaction and sustainability, have been crucial to our success. We are committed to positively influencing our community and the planet, and we’re excited to keep pushing forward.”
For example, Koenig noted the company’s commitments to give back to the community more than 5 percent of annual profits and to offset its carbon footprint by 2040, leveraging smart facilities, recycling efforts and a delivery fleet that was named the Greenest Fleet in America in 2021 and No. 7 last year.
Koenig, 41, who received his MBA from Nova Southeastern University, lives with his wife, Deana, and their three children in Plantation. He took a few moments to lean in to our standard set of Quote Unquote questions.
CITY Furniture in Altamonte Springs.
Aside from the weather, what do you enjoy most about South Florida?
Dinner with my wife and kids at Livia Bar & Grill in Fort Lauderdale or Vivace in Plantation. There’s nothing as relaxing as a good dinner with family, maybe not so much with the kids. Ha ha!
Aside from the weather, what do you dislike most about South Florida?
I really love everything about South Florida. I’m a huge fan. However, if I had to pick something, it would be the traffic. That’s never fun.
Are you a beach person or a pool person?
I’m a hot tub person. There is nothing better than going into a hot tub after a long day, relaxing and having my wife and kids hang with me.
When in your life are you or have you been the happiest?
When I got married and then had three kids back-to-back-to-back, all within a span of 26 months. Life was a whirlwind of diapers and laughter. It was chaotic, but undeniably enjoyable. Now, as the kids grow older, the dynamic has shifted, offering a different kind of joy that I cherish just as much.
What do you do when you’re stuck in a traffic jam on I-95?
Listen to Bloomberg, CNBC or take work calls. I don’t like any waste of time. If I’m not learning something I kind of freak out.
What music are you listening to now?
I’m a little behind on what’s cool. I listen mostly to business, podcasts, book tapes, etc. I’m always trying to learn and grow as a person. Little nerdy but that’s me.
Are you a fan, and if so, of what?
I’m a big South Florida sports fan — Dolphins, Panthers, Heat, Inter-Miami and Marlins.
If you had to choose: Beatles or Stones?
Neither. Sorry.
What are your social media usernames?
@therealakcity55 on Instagram and TikTok and @akcity55 on X. Andrew Koenig on Linkedin and Facebook.
Apple or Android?
Apple. I love Apple’s focus on design, cutting-edge technology, and top-notch quality, best-in-class experience, etc. One of the best brands of all time or maybe the best that’s ever existed on this planet.
Who is your real-life hero or heroine?
My dad. He’s the man. He has worked so hard for his family, friends, our company and our community. He has won almost every award available — Horatio Alger being the most recent. Goes to church every week. Never misses a sporting event with my kids.
What car are you driving now?
Tesla Model S. Since 2013. I was a first believer. I have visited the Gigafactory in Reno and the other factories several times. A lot of good business learnings about innovation, disruptive thinking, brand purpose, etc.
Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire in a still from the movie “Rocky.”
If you had to choose: Rocky or Raging Bull?
Definitely Rocky.
What do you like most about yourself?
I like to consider myself a good family man — approachable, kind to others, and just a decent person overall. Hopefully, that’s how people, especially my wife, would describe me. Ha.
What places in South Florida do you recommend to guests visiting from out-of-town?
Las Olas nightlife, bars and restaurants are always fun. Las Olas always has good energy, so much to do and lots of good people around. I love Las Olas and Fort Lauderdale. Blessed to have grown up down here.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish I’d learned technology (i.e., software engineering, AI, tech architecture, etc.) at an earlier age. I’m catching up now thanks to my amazing CITY Tech Team.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
When my dad passed the reins of the company on to me and made me CEO, that was the proudest day of my life. I had this goal to be CEO my whole life and I achieved it within a few months of my goal timeline. It was very cool to get his approval but it also reinforced for me the importance of goal-setting, meticulous planning, unwavering dedication, and putting your heart, blood, sweat and tears into your dream; being humble along the way by understanding that you don’t know everything and learning as much as you can from everyone on the journey, outworking and outlearning your competition, etc. If you do that, you can achieve whatever your dreams are — or at least that’s what it has taught me.