Recommends Shareholders "WITHHOLD" Votes from All Five Incumbent Directors
More Than a Decade After Supporting the Board in 2015, Glass Lewis Cites Persistent Underperformance, Unfulfilled Promises of Growth, and Failures of Board Oversight
Endorses Mr. Bergeron’s Nominees and Their Clear Plan to Restore Shareholder Value, Concluding That Maintaining the Status Quo Poses Greater Risk to the Company
Mr. Bergeron Urges Shareholders to Follow Glass Lewis’ and Egan-Jones’ Recommendations and Vote the WHITE Proxy Card "FOR" ALL Five of His Nominees
Doug Bergeron, a significant shareholder of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. ("Ethan Allen" or the "Company") (NYSE:ETD) with beneficial ownership, collectively with his affiliates and associates, of approximately 5.2% of Ethan Allen’s outstanding common stock, today announced that leading independent proxy advisory firm Glass, Lewis & Co. ("Glass Lewis") has recommended that Ethan Allen shareholders vote on the WHITE universal proxy card "FOR" ALL FIVE of his highly qualified director nominees to the Board of Directors (the "Board") – Douglas G. Bergeron, Anna Brockway, Kristine E. Miller, Steve Oblak, and Stefanie Tsen Ward – at the Company’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Annual Meeting") on November 4, 2026.
Glass Lewis recommended that shareholders "WITHHOLD" votes from all five incumbent directors, including Chairman and Chief Executive Officer M. Farooq Kathwari. The recommendation follows Egan-Jones Proxy Services’ ("Egan-Jones") endorsement of Mr. Bergeron’s five director nominees and its recommendation to withhold votes from each incumbent director.
Mr. Bergeron commented, "Glass Lewis carefully weighed the potential paths forward and concluded that the greatest risk to Ethan Allen is leaving it in the hands of the incumbent directors. We agree. Glass Lewis’ recommendation is a resounding indictment of the incumbent Board – thoroughly dismantling the Board’s attempted defenses to our campaign – and serves as powerful validation of our case for change. After more than a decade of declining performance, broken promises, and failed oversight, Glass Lewis has concluded that the status quo is no longer defensible.
"With both Glass Lewis and Egan-Jones recommending that shareholders elect all five of our highly qualified nominees, the message is clear: Ethan Allen needs comprehensive Board change now. On November 4, shareholders have an opportunity to turn the page on years of underperformance and absent accountability by electing a new Board with the expertise and urgency required to renew this American icon. We urge shareholders to follow the recommendations of Glass Lewis and Egan-Jones and vote FOR all five of our nominees on the WHITE universal proxy card."
In commenting on Ethan Allen’s persistent underperformance, unfulfilled promises of growth, selective disclosures, and failures of Board oversight, Glass Lewis stated:*
In commenting on the strength of Mr. Bergeron’s nominees, their credible plan to restore shareholder value, and the compelling case for comprehensive Board change, Glass Lewis noted:*
Additional materials related to Mr. Bergeron’s campaign, including video interviews with his five director candidates, may be found at www.EthanAllenGrowth.com. Shareholders are encouraged to follow the campaign’s LinkedIn and X pages to stay informed in real time.
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT. RENEW AN AMERICAN ICON. VOTE FOR ALL FIVE DGB NOMINEES ON THE WHITE UNIVERSAL PROXY CARD TODAY
Shareholders with questions on how to vote their shares may visit www.EthanAllenGrowth.com/How-To-Vote.
*DGB has neither sought nor obtained the consent of Glass Lewis to use previously published information in this press release.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
DGB Investment, Inc. and Douglas G. Bergeron, together with the other participants in their solicitation (collectively, "DGB"), have filed a definitive proxy statement and accompanying WHITE universal proxy card with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") to be used to solicit proxies with respect to the election of DGB’s slate of highly qualified director candidates and the other proposals to be presented at the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders (the "Annual Meeting") of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"). Stockholders are advised to read the proxy statement and any other documents related to the solicitation of stockholders of the Company in connection with the Annual Meeting because they contain important information, including information relating to the participants in DGB’s proxy solicitation. These materials and other materials filed by DGB with the SEC in connection with the solicitation of proxies are available at no charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents filed by DGB with the SEC are also available, without charge, by directing a request to DGB’s proxy solicitor, Okapi Partners LLC, at its toll-free number (877) 285-5990 or via email at info@okapipartners.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261025312707/en/
Media Contact:
DGB@gasthalter.com
Investor Contact:
Bruce Goldfarb / Chuck Garske
Okapi Partners
(877) 285-5990
info@okapipartners.com