Henry Striem Lewin, 1939-2023, Built the Largest Home Furnishings Business in Central America
March 31, 2023
Henry Striem
PANAMA CITY—Henry Striem Lewin, the well-known fabric buyer and sole owner of La Importadora Selecta here has passed away at the age of 83.
Since he was 24 years old, Striem was a partner and then owner of Grupo Importadora Selecta for nearly 60 years.
The company issued the following statement: “The Board of Directors, Commercial Managers and all employees join in the grief of the family and friends of the man who was always an excellent person, a fundamental pillar in our company, who left us positive teachings and a great legacy of values and life experiences that have inspired many others.”
Funeral services were held Sunday, March 26th at the Toledano Hall of the Kol Shearit Israel Synagogue in Costa del Este and he was buried at the Peace Garden. He is survived by his wife Margarita Striem and his children Hanna and Hildegarde Striem and his son Harvey who is general manager of Importadora Selecta.
La Importadora Selecta is Panama’s oldest home furnishings supplier. Striem launched the country’s first megastore in 2000. He was credited with orchestrating the company's growth for decades. He began his career with the company at age 14 and reached partner status at 24.
La Importadora Selecta continues to serve the medium and high-end markets. ''Trademarks and brand names are very important to us, and we stand behind what we sell,” Striem once said. “We are probably one of the very few companies in Latin America that has a true emphasis on brands.''
Striem regularly attended all major global trade shows. In previous editions of F&FI, he said it's essential for his company to be present at the shows in order to stay apprised of developments. ''Not only are the trends, fabrics and colorways important, but so, too are new materials and technology. We travel to all the global shows of significance, and we cover the giants such as High Point and Heimtextil,'' he previously said.
La Importadora Selecta's stores are strategically located to reach clients in different price ranges with diverse tastes. There are four shops in Panama City, one on the other side of the Canal and a showroom/cum wholesale operation in Colon, Panama's Foreign Trade Zone.
Striem imported fabrics into the Colon Free Trade Zone warehouse from China, Spain, Egypt, Italy and America. Importadora Selecta continues to bring in containers of textile products from Europe and the Orient and Striem once said the company only exports textile products from the Colon Free Zone.
Since he was 24 years old, Striem was a partner and then owner of Grupo Importadora Selecta for nearly 60 years.
The company issued the following statement: “The Board of Directors, Commercial Managers and all employees join in the grief of the family and friends of the man who was always an excellent person, a fundamental pillar in our company, who left us positive teachings and a great legacy of values and life experiences that have inspired many others.”
Funeral services were held Sunday, March 26th at the Toledano Hall of the Kol Shearit Israel Synagogue in Costa del Este and he was buried at the Peace Garden. He is survived by his wife Margarita Striem and his children Hanna and Hildegarde Striem and his son Harvey who is general manager of Importadora Selecta.
La Importadora Selecta is Panama’s oldest home furnishings supplier. Striem launched the country’s first megastore in 2000. He was credited with orchestrating the company's growth for decades. He began his career with the company at age 14 and reached partner status at 24.
La Importadora Selecta continues to serve the medium and high-end markets. ''Trademarks and brand names are very important to us, and we stand behind what we sell,” Striem once said. “We are probably one of the very few companies in Latin America that has a true emphasis on brands.''
Striem regularly attended all major global trade shows. In previous editions of F&FI, he said it's essential for his company to be present at the shows in order to stay apprised of developments. ''Not only are the trends, fabrics and colorways important, but so, too are new materials and technology. We travel to all the global shows of significance, and we cover the giants such as High Point and Heimtextil,'' he previously said.
La Importadora Selecta's stores are strategically located to reach clients in different price ranges with diverse tastes. There are four shops in Panama City, one on the other side of the Canal and a showroom/cum wholesale operation in Colon, Panama's Foreign Trade Zone.
Striem imported fabrics into the Colon Free Trade Zone warehouse from China, Spain, Egypt, Italy and America. Importadora Selecta continues to bring in containers of textile products from Europe and the Orient and Striem once said the company only exports textile products from the Colon Free Zone.
