LH Imports Marks Major Milestone with Name Change

LH Imports is going back to its roots in celebration of its 25th year in business.

The furniture wholesaler and distributor has rebranded to LH Home, standing for La Hacienda Home — a salute to 1999, and the days when the company only imported case goods from Mexico.

Along with the name change, the company has updated its Canadian website to lhhome.ca from lhhomedecor.ca. The e-mail address and Instagram handle have also changed to @lhhome.com and @lhhomeltd, respectively.

To mark the momentous occasion, LH has planned a number of events for 2024. May will see the launch of LH’s new Vancouver showroom, which is currently undergoing renovations and will have double the showroom space and a second floor for offices upon completion. That same month, the company will host a home market with neighbour Stylus. In November, the two will host a joint signature cocktail party to celebrate their respective anniversaries. (The made-to-order sofa manufacturer’s 65th anniversary is this year, too.) Throughout 2024, LH will reward its loyal customers with extra promotions at all markets.

“As we celebrate a quarter century, we thank all of our partners and industry friends — our team, customers, vendors and those who have supported, challenged and cheered us on along the way,” says vice-president and co-owner Jade Merriman. “We are tremendously grateful and will continue to strive for our strong partnerships for the years to come.”

LH was founded by Lisa Calkins who had a passion for home decor. Mixed family roots in Canada and Mexico led her to import cast iron decor from Mexico, which she did for approximately 10 years. Calkins then expanded the assortment throughout southeast Asia, where the look of LH began its transformation to what it has become today.

“Our (original) name was LH Imports, but we knew the company was so much more defined than the general word ‘imports,’ so we finally decided to pull the trigger on the name change that we’ve been thinking about for many years,” says Merriman.

As the company has diversified, it has also grown. What started out as a team of five, with two external sales representatives, has expanded to become a head office 20 people strong that also includes a sales force of more than 25, a secondary office in Vietnam and a distribution set up in Mexico.

“We have found staying true to our passion to create on-trend, quality sourced products has kept our company agile and the culture strong,” says Merriman.

LH entered the trade show circuit in the company’s infancy, first showcasing at Canadian Gift Association shows in Alberta and Toronto, and the now-defunct Canadian Furniture Show, before moving stateside to participate in the Seattle Gift Show in 2010. The company has had a presence at Las Vegas Market and High Point Market for some time, setting up permanent showrooms in 2014 and 2021, respectively.

“Although we did have temporary spaces in Vegas and High Point before our permanent spaces, the official move into permanent spaces were the biggest highlights for us,” says Merriman, who is looking forward to the spring edition of High Point Market.

There, LH will celebrate its anniversary at its showroom (205 S. Main St.), with a DJ, cocktails and appetizers on the afternoons of April 12-14.