Michael Grossman on 113 Years of Kensington Furniture

Michael Grossman is the fourth-generation owner of Kensington Furniture, and in this video he talks about how he ended up running a business that has been part of Atlantic County for 113 years.

Who is Michael Grossman?

Michael is the fourth generation of his family to run Kensington Furniture. He grew up around the business, but his path into it wasn't quite the storybook version people might expect.

How did he end up joining the family business?

Michael is candid about it. He went to Boston University, had a good time, and graduated without a clear plan. As he puts it, "the line I would say publicly is it was something I always dreamed about" — but the more honest version is that he finished school, wasn't sure what to do next, and decided to join the family business. That decision is what put him at the head of Kensington today.

How long has Kensington Furniture been in business?

Kensington has been operating for 113 years, which Michael says makes it one of the oldest, if not the oldest, retail businesses in Atlantic County. That kind of longevity is rare for any local business, let alone a family-run furniture store that has passed through four generations of the same family.

What does that history mean for the community?

For Michael, the number isn't the point on its own. It's what the years represent. "We are an intrinsic part of Atlantic Cape May County and its history," he says. He points to the fact that so many people in the area have marked major life events at Kensington — getting married, having their first child, moving into their first place — and coming in to furnish that next chapter of their lives.

That pattern repeats across generations. Parents who bought their first bedroom set at Kensington send their own kids in years later. Neighbors who furnished a starter apartment come back when they buy a house. Over 113 years, that adds up to a lot of families whose homes have some connection to the store.

Why does he call it a privilege?

Michael sums up what running the business means to him directly: "To have that legacy, to be able to serve generations of customers, it's a privilege." It's a simple statement, but it captures the tone of the whole conversation. He didn't frame his role as inheriting a title. He framed it as being trusted with something a lot of people in South Jersey have relied on for a long time.

The takeaway

Michael Grossman's story is less about a grand plan and more about showing up, taking the job seriously, and understanding what it means to be handed a 113-year-old business built on relationships with customers rather than just transactions. That's the version of the family business story he tells when the cameras are rolling, and it's also, by his own admission, the more honest one.