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Jim McIngvale, also known as "Mattress Mac," started Gallery Furniture in 1981 in Houston after being in the industry as a successful furniture salesman.  He started Gallery Furniture with $5,000 and "a dream" and built it into one of the largest home furnishing retail stores in Texas.  The store now produces $200 million in sales per year.

 

Mattress Mack is known as a leader in community involvement and philanthropy.  In the early 1990's, he began a Christmas tradition of giving away furniture to one needy family each year.  In 1992, Mack's holiday contributions helped to feed 20,000 homeless people living in Houston.  Mack has also sponsored trips to Rome for Catholic students and teachers from 60 different schools in the Houston area.  He worked with former president George Bush to raise funds for the Houston Tsunami Relief Fund and the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund.  He has made sizable donations to local schools, colleges and charitable efforts.  He also has strong ties to the Houston sports teams--the Houston Astors, Houston Rockets, Houston Texans and to professional tennis.  As the owner of the Westside Tennis Club, he and his wife, Linda, have turned this facility into the host of many international tennis tournaments.

 

The McIngvales have three children.  His youngest daughter Elizabeth is the founder of Peace of Mind, a nonprofit organization devoted to researching obsessive compulsive disorder.  In 2002, McIngvale co-authored the book, Always Think Big with Thomas Duening and John Ivancevich.  The book chronicles the ups and downs of McIngvale's entrepreneurial career and offers readers advice on how to market effectively and manage a business.