On March 5, 1936, Sam and Sonia Kaplan opened their original store at 301-½ Lodi Street in Elyria, OH. The store was only 600 square feet and he sold floor covering and carpet. Then in 1940 he moved to a bigger location at 554 Broad Street where he started selling used furniture. After a short stay in the Company’s second location, Kaplan’s moved to West Broad Street where they have been serving customers for over three generations.

Upon the retirement of Sam Kaplan, Lou L. Kaplan, who was the only son along with three sisters, and had served in WWII, started to grow the business with his father more aggressively and at one point Kaplan’s opened up a store in Wellington, OH, where the Rite Aid store is located today.

Kaplan’s family commitment to offering the best name brand furniture products value for the money along with customer service has allowed many generations of families to return year after year to Kaplan’s. In return Kaplan’s has been a part of supporting many service organizations and schools fund raisers along with supporting local government fund raisers like the library system.

In the 1980s Richard Kaplan, the first born son of Lou’s four children, entered the business and in the mid-90’s under his leadership started a major renovation and expansion of what Kaplan’s Furniture is known for today. (“We want our customers to feel comfortable with their decisions.”) Kaplan’s wants to keep overhead manageable in a full service furniture store and maintain low prices and a high level of service. Kaplan’s is the largest privately held furniture store in Lorain County.

In 2008 even more changes have come to Kaplan’s with the expansion of a new store in North Olmsted, Ohio, right off 480/Great Northern Boulevard. This expansion under the leadership of Gilda Kaplan, wife of Lou Kaplan; and two sons Richard A. Kaplan and Steve E. Kaplan. The Kaplan’s are looking forward to the competitive changes that lay ahead for us in the Cleveland Market and hope that we can offer the same level of support we have done in Lorain County. We have started our fourth generation of family members being a part of the retail furniture community.