Bob Davido, the founding father of Benchmark Furnishings, has died on the age of 81.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Benchmark Furnishings founder Robert “Bob” Lee Davido died Aug. 24 at his residence in Wellington, New Zealand. His age was 81 years.

20 Aug 1943 in Nevada, Mo. Born to Morris and Sarah Davido, he grew up together with his brothers, Martin and Jerry, of their household’s retail furnishings enterprise, Davido Furnishings. He graduated from the College of Arizona with a level in enterprise/finance and attended regulation faculty on the College of Missouri in Kansas Metropolis.

Whereas on the College of Arizona, Davido met his spouse Mimi, they usually moved to Kansas Metropolis, Mo. moved, the place they ultimately constructed a enterprise referred to as Foam Metropolis, promoting clothes, foam and provides for upholstering themselves, together with consolation. Seventies “leisure furnishings.”

Over time, their household enterprise grew and developed into furnishings manufacturing of customized sofas and chairs as Benchmark Furnishings, with Benchmark Dwelling Style Design Facilities in each Missouri and Kansas within the Kansas Metropolis metropolitan space. The enterprise expanded over time to incorporate many merchandise sourced in the US and around the globe, culminating in Benchmark Dwelling Furnishings and the Benchmark Categorical megastore and warehouse advanced in Olathe, Kansas, which has a 700,000 It was unfold over greater than 500 sq. toes and employed greater than 500 individuals. its top.

An early and enthusiastic adopter of know-how, Davido additionally had plans to fabricate electronics, computer systems and satellite tv for pc dishes in Taiwan for the American market.

Collectively together with his daughter Emily, he co-designed, patented and marketed cabinetry as a house cinema design for residence theater and developed the primary freestanding residence theater retailer. He additionally developed Behome.com, a transactional e-commerce residence furnishings web site.

Davido additionally traveled to Europe together with his brother Jerry to review find out how to construct and function state-of-the-art hi-cube warehouses, which led to the development of a technologically superior furnishings warehouse that housed Patrons got the chance to “see it, purchase it. personal it” in quarter-hour or much less.

After retiring from enterprise in 2006, Davido and his spouse moved first to Mesquite, Nev., then later to Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Davido was preceded in demise by his spouse Mimi; his mother and father; and his brother Martin. He’s survived by his two kids, two grandchildren, his brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews and cousins.