Albany Park Newsroom
Press Contact:
press@edloefinch.comAddress:
6711 Stella Link Rd., Suite 365Houston, TX 77005
Website:
albanypark.comOur Story
Former NFL linebacker Darryl Sharpton and his wife, Jessica, discovered a problem: buying a sofa sucked.
After shopping in an over-priced "designer" showroom and being overwhelmed with hundreds of sofa options (that were all basically the same), Darryl and Jessica Sharpton left the showroom mentally fatigued. Adding to their frustration, it would take 4-6 weeks for their new sofa to arrive. As they anxiously waited for their new couch, the entrepreneurial couple began drafting a plan to disrupt this archaic way of buying a sofa.
First, Darryl and Jessica focused on eliminating decision fatigue for sofa shoppers. Shoppers didn't need 150+ options; so they designed 3 gorgeous collections that collectively satisfied the needs of everyone AND could be delivered for free to your front door. This method is not only faster but much more convenient and less expensive ā these savings get passed on to Albany Park customers everyday.Ā Albany Park furniture comes packaged in apartment-friendly, space-conscious boxes that can easily be maneuvered in stairwells, tight hallways and throughout any home. Albany Park is radically changing the way people shop for sofas.
Our Founders
Darryl Sharpton
Co-Founder & co-CEODarryl Sharpton is a creative visionary with an entrepreneurial spirit that has been with him since his adolescent days. He serves as the co-founder and co-CEO of Edloe Finch, parent company to Albany Park, leading product development, design, and marketing strategy.
Darryl previously ran a brick-and-mortar furniture store, however quickly realized that e-commerce was the future and subsequently, joined forces with his wife, and fellow co-founder, Jessica Sharpton to self-fund and start Edloe Finch.
Initially an online wholesale distributor for retailers such as Amazon, Wayfair, and Walmart, they eventually extended their business to a direct-to-consumer retail model with the launch of their disruptive, flagship brand, Albany Park, in 2019. Albany Park set out to make it easy for people to anchor their homes with comfortable sofas that are efficiently packaged, and easy to maneuver in homes with tight spaces.
Prior to co-founding a company that has experienced 300%+ growth from conception to grossing over 58 million dollars in sales in 2021, Darryl was an NFL Linebacker playing for the Houston Texans and the Chicago Bears.
Darryl received a full football scholarship to play in his hometown at the University of Miami where he also received his Bachelor's degree in Finance.
Jessica Sharpton
Co-Founder & co-CEOJessica SharptonĀ is the co-founder and co-CEO of Edloe Finch, parent company to Albany Park, serving as the lead for finance, operations, and logistics. Not only does Jessica manage staff productivity, vendor relationships, and oversee production quality control, she also leads implementation of all technology initiatives, ensuring the business is producing at the highest level to best meet the needs and demands of their growing customer base.
Prior to her current role, Jessica worked in the valuations group at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), advising businesses on the value of their assets to support successful raising of capital and strategic planning. She ultimately left PwC to join a boutique consulting firm where she worked for several years, helping large corporations implement technology transformations, before joining forces with her husband, Darryl Sharpton, to start Edloe Finch.
Jessica received a scholarship to play soccer at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where she also received a Bachelor's degree in Economics.
Facts & Figures
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March 2008Darryl Sharpton sold the first sofa from his college apartment
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August 2017Edloe Finch was founded
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February 2019Albany Park was founded
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July 2019Albany Park Website was launched
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August 2019Albany Collection was launched as the first Albany Park Collection
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September 2019First Albany sofa sold
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March 2020Park and Kova Collections completed the Albany Park portfolio
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October 2020Albany Park launched the EĢ£kĆ”Ć boĢ£Ģ Collection
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February 2021Two new Ankara prints were added to The EĢ£kĆ”Ć boĢ£Ģ Collection
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July 2021Albany Park was recognized as one of the Fastest-Growing DTC Brands of 2021
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August 2021More XL configurations added to the Kova Collection
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March 202244,200+ orders shipped
300%+GROWTH
year over year
100M+In Sales
for 2022
44K+ Orders Shipped
to date
50+Employees
Awards
Best Online Furniture & Home Decor 2020
News
Former NFL linebacker Darryl Sharpton is now thriving with an online furniture business
Online Sofa Shopping Is Finally Easy Thanks to This Affordable New Brand
I Switched from a Traditional Sofa to This Super Cozy Sectional and Iām Never Going Back ā Hereās Why
Meet Albany Park, our new favorite couch-in-a-box brand
37 Things To Make Your Home Look Like An Interior Designer Took Over
Designer Mia Vesper Defines Her Home With Vintage Textiles and Peach-Colored Paint
22 genius space-saving furniture pieces for your home
This Editor-Loved Retailer Ships Sofas in a Week (or Less!) ā Here Are 4 You Should Buy
The 25 Fastest-Growing DTC Brands of Q2 2021
Meet the Couple Who Made the Internet's Comfiest Cloud Sofa
Former NFL Linebacker Darryl Sharptonās Ancestry Inspires Furniture Line
Dreaming of a Cloud sofa? Albany Parkās modular, easy-to-assemble couches are luxurious and reasonably priced
Press Releases
Media Assets
Founders Headshots
Darryl Sharpton
Jessica Sharpton
Company Branding & Products
Logo
įŗøkĆ”Ć bį»Ģ Collection
Albany Collection
Park Collection
Kova Collection
A cozy home begins here.TM
