Keeping up with the Rafıehas
The family behind Abbyson Living By Hana Medina
MANY PEOPLE COULDN’T imagine running a business with their siblings, let alone a
successful one, but the Rafieha brothers—
Yavar, 32; Doddy, 27; and Rodd, 23—have
proven that sibling rivalry can be set aside for
long-term gain. ;e brothers, who claim they
never fought even as kids, have channeled
their familial harmony to operate Abbyson
Living, a furniture manufacturer and distributor that has been a loyal Costco supplier for
the past 15 years. Abby Ra;eha started the
business in 1989, and since the Ra;eha brothers took over the business in 2008, they have
grown it by more than 3,000 percent, and they
don’t plan on slowing down any time soon.
Early beginnings
On a trip to Tibet, the intricate carvings
and unique designs of Tibetan rugs and furniture caught the eye of Abby Ra;eha, a globetrotting entrepreneur with a doctorate in
economics. His initial idea to import and
share these designs with American consumers
was the catalyst for what would become
Abbyson Living, a leading name in the furniture industry.
Abby dreamed of leaving a legacy for his
three children. While importing furniture was
the main way he pioneered this e;ort, it wasn’t
the only way. He started and currently oper-
ates several di;erent ventures, including solar-
panel manufacturing; a handbag, briefcase
and luggage line (primarily sold in Asia); a
winery (Abby Wines); and a cattle ranch, to
name a few. ;e boys grew up in awe of their
father and were drawn to the furniture busi-
ness for the ability to express their creativity.
“He gave us the option to work with him,”
says Yavar, who brie;y entertained the idea
of being a lawyer, until a job shadow con-
vinced him otherwise. “But being around
him, we started loving the business, loving
design, loving the opportunity to create a
product that people would
use and they would also
enjoy. He was going to move
the business forward regard-
less [if we joined him].”
;e boys showed an a;n-
ity for furniture at a young
age. So when they
each turned 16 years
old, their father
began training
them, and at age
18 they started
Name: Abbyson Living
Leaders: The Rafieha brothers: Yavar
(president), Doddy (senior vice president
and COO) and Rodd (vice president)
Employees: 334 worldwide
Address: 26500 W. Agoura Road,
No. 102-875, Calabasas, CA 91302
Phone: 1-888-406-0838
Website:
www.abbysonliving.com
Email:
info@abbysonliving.com
Costco.com products: Living room
sets, media consoles and bedroom
furniture available only on Costco.com
Comments about Costco: “We truly
learned how important it is to provide
Costco members with the best-quality
products, because the Costco member
has a very high standard. They’re
very savvy. At the end of the day,
it’s the same philosophy: Give the
best service, give the best quality
to the members.”—Yavar Rafieha
SUPPLIERPROFILE
Brothers Doddy (left), Yavar and Rodd Rafieha
at people would
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