Archive for June, 2007
BY ELAINE WALKER
In honor of its 40th anniversary, El Dorado Furniture on Wednesday announced plans to launch a community-service campaign that will donate furniture to 40 needy South Florida families.
The ‘’40 Years, 40 Families'’ campaign was launched during a celebration Wednesday at El Dorado’s first store, which opened on Calle Ocho in Little Havana on June 27, 1967. Founder Manual Capó and his sons have grown the chain to 10 stores in the tri-county area and the largest Hispanic-owned furniture retailer in the United States. It’s a immigrant success story for the family, which fled Cuba in the 1960s on a sailboat christened “El Dorado.'’
People can nominate themselves or submit nominations on behalf of anyone in the community. A committee of local media executives and community leaders will review the nominations and select two families each week until mid-November.
‘’We owe so much to South Florida and to this country,'’ said Pedro Capó, chief operating officer. “It’s time to give back to the community. What better way than to give people a better family environment.'’
The winning families will be able to visit an El Dorado store to select up to $5,000 in furniture for their home, Capó said.
Applications for the program will be available in all El Dorado stores and starting next Monday at the website, www.40years40families.com
Applicants will be asked to explain in 250 words or less why the person or family needs the furniture.
A representative from The Miami Herald will be serving on the selection committee, and the newspaper is also a media sponsor of the program.
June 28th, 2007
Larry Thomas — Furniture Today,
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — Consolidated Bedding, Spring Air’s largest licensee, has acquired six additional U.S. licensees and simultaneously merged with Spring Air Co., the licensor of the Spring Air brand.
The newly unified Spring Air also has hired former Simmons executive Bob Hellyer as CEO. He will oversee some 1,150 employees at 13 factories and a corporate office, which will remain in the Chicago area.
Jim Nation, president of Spring Air Co., will hold the same title in the new Spring Air. Steve Antinori, chairman and CEO of Consolidated Bedding, will become chairman of the Spring Air board.
“This is an exciting day for all of Spring Air’s customers, employees and suppliers,” Hellyer said. “As one company, led by an experienced management team with a common vision, Spring Air can deliver better quality, service and exceptional value.”
As part of the so-called “roll-up” transaction, Consolidated acquired Spring Air licensees in Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Chelsea, Mass.; Denver; Phoenix; St. Louis; Salt Lake City, and Lacey, Wash.
They will join Consolidated’s existing facilities in Columbus, Ohio; Carrollton, Texas; City of Industry, Calif.; New Brunswick, N.J., and Tampa, Fla.
Spring Air licensees in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Greensboro, N.C., were not part of the transaction and will remain independent, as will Spring Air’s licensees outside the United States.
Hellyer is a fourth-generation mattress executive who has been in the industry for nearly 25 years. He was president of Simmons from 2001 to 2005 and held a variety of sales and senior management posts there from 1994 to 2001.
He began his bedding industry career in 1983 as a key account representative for Stearns & Foster and became vice president of sales for the Sealy division in 1992.
June 28th, 2007
Susan M. Andrews — Furniture Today,
VALDESE, N.C. — Fabric supplier Valdese Weavers was the successful bidder Tuesday for the Circa 1801 residential fabrics and Guild 360 contract fabrics segments of Joan Fabrics.
The assets were for sale at an auction in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, where Joan filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April.
“We are very excited to be the winning bidder,” said Mike Shelton, president and CEO of Valdese Weavers. The Circa 1801 and Guild 360 segments were considered to be the most valuable assets of Joan Fabrics, which had been one of the largest U.S. suppliers of upholstery fabrics.
Shelton said more details about the deal will be released shortly.
June 28th, 2007
— Furniture Today,
RICHMOND, British Columbia — Hamilton Spill Furniture Group has promoted Dirk Springmann to the newly created post of vice president of sales, Canada.
The importer also has named Traci Bratton national sales manager, Canada.
Springmann joined Hamilton Spill in 2005 as sales manager, focusing on U.S. sales in the Leather and Mattress Division. Before that, he worked in retail, including 13 years at Canada’s United Furniture Warehouse, now part of The Brick.
In his new post, he will work closely with major and national accounts, develop new customers in existing distribution channels, and develop customers in new channels. He reports to President Rick Verjee.
“These are very exciting times for Hamilton Spill, and as the new vice president of sales for Canada, I am very pleased to have this opportunity to make a significant contribution,” said Springmann.
June 28th, 2007
Furniture Today,
CHERRYVILLE, N.C. — Four managers have been promoted at Hooker Furniture’s leather upholstery division, Bradington-Young.
Craig Young, a 14-year company veteran who had been vice president, sales for more than 10 years, has been elevated to senior vice president, sales.
Ben Causey has been promoted from vice president, finance and administration, to senior vice president, finance and administration. He joined Bradington-Young 12 years ago and earlier held similar positions in finance at Henredon, Caraway Furniture and American Drew.
Conrad Kerley, formerly director of leather and import operations, has been named vice president, leather and import operations. Kerley joined Bradington-Young 10 years ago from Emerson Leather.
Dale Smith, who has been director of manufacturing for three years, is vice president of manufacturing. Earlier, Smith was with Hooker’s Maiden, N.C., production facility and was a plant manager for Henredon.
The four report to Scott Young, president and CEO of Bradington-Young, who said, “Each of them has been critical in the growth we’ve experienced in the last several years, and their leadership will be critical in the challenging environment of the industry today.”
Industry veteran Alan Cole joined Hooker last week in the new post of executive vice president of upholstery. Scott Young and Mike Moldenhauser, president of Hooker’s Sam Moore division, report to Cole.
June 28th, 2007
— Casual Living,
The Rainforest Alliance has signed a SmartSource agreement with SumaPacha Industrial S.A., a Bolivia-based wood product manufacturer, to help maximize the availability of wood that comes from responsibly managed forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council for production of furniture, flooring and decking. SumaPacha is a subsidiary of ForestWorld LLC, a Greensboro, N.C.-based manufacturer of FSC-certified wood products made from Latin American tropical hardwoods.
SumaPacha is the first company in South America to sign a SmartSource agreement, which is an initiative of the Rainforest Alliance’s forestry program that aims to help businesses improve their forest product purchasing policies and practices and increase their access to FSC-certified wood by strengthening relationships throughout their supply chains. The agreement will help the company meet its growth targets and fulfill the increasing market demand for responsibly managed home products.
“The Rainforest Alliance promotes collaboration among private industry, producers and consumers as a tool for truly integrating responsible practices throughout a supply chain,” said Daphne Hewitt, senior project manager with the Rainforest Alliance. “ForestWorld and SumaPacha have demonstrated their commitment to responsible production by continually seeking to increase the volume of FSC-certified wood that is purchased for their manufacturing facility in Bolivia and have become leaders in their industry. The Rainforest Alliance is pleased to work with SumaPacha to ensure continued success with FSC certification.”
Goals of this agreement include getting more than 400,000 new hectares (988,400 acres) of forestland in Bolivia and Peru to meet the FSC’s environmental and social standards and providing market incentives for community and indigenous suppliers to participate in a sustainable forest product market chain with SumaPacha.
“ForestWorld is excited to work with the Rainforest Alliance on increasing the area of FSC-certified forestlands in Bolivia and Peru,” said Chris Anderson, CEO of ForestWorld. “This joint effort will help in our mission of protecting tropical forest areas through responsible forest management. By including a goal to certify indigenous community areas, this endeavor will also help us ensure that local residents benefit from the natural resources from which our products are made.”
SumaPacha manufactures high-end outdoor furniture, flooring and decking, using traditional and non-traditional tropical hardwood species from Bolivia and Peru and specializes in offering socially and environmentally responsible products. The company owns a 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in La Paz, Bolivia and supplies leading retailers in the United States and Europe.
With growing market demand for certified products, SumaPacha called on the Rainforest Alliance to help reach out to concession holders and indigenous communities to certify their areas and thus increase the volume of available FSC-certified wood that meets the company’s specifications.
The Rainforest Alliance will design training for SumaPacha’s priority suppliers to enable them to meet the company’s specifications, including enhanced business and processing skills, and explore the potential for additional new suppliers to become FSC-certified in the near future.
This agreement builds on Bolivia’s leadership role in FSC-certified tropical forestland. With nearly 2 million hectares (nearly 5 million acres) of tropical forest certified in Bolivia, the country is second only to Brazil with the largest area of FSC-certified tropical forest in the world.
June 28th, 2007
The Board of Directors of the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation Inc. has elected new officers for 2007-2008 and directors for a three year term, 2007-2010.
New officers are J. Don Coleman, president, Hickory Springs Manufacturing Co.; Donald Belgrad, first vice president, Schnadig Corp.; Donald C. Marks, second vice president, Badcock Home Furniture & more; G. Leroy Lail, immediate past president/secretary-treasurer, Hickory Furniture Mart; and industry consultant, E.L. Briggs, assistant treasurer.
Patrick H. Norton with La-Z-Boy has been elected to a new three-year term. Directors serving an additional three-year term are Jerome Bolick, Southern Furniture Company of Conover; Joseph Carroll, Furniture/Today; Kurt L. Darrow, La-Z-Boy, Inc.; Eric Hinshaw, Kingsdown, Inc.; Donald C. Marks, Badcock Home Furniture & more; and Clarence H. Smith, Haverty Furniture Companies.
Industry veteran, Plato S. Wilson has been elected to the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation Advisory Board.
“We are looking forward to this year as we transform the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation,” Coleman says. “Many exciting plans are in development and we are honored to lead an organization dedicated to preserving the history of our industry and celebrating those who have brought us to where we are today.”
The American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation is open to all home furnishings industry companies, organizations and individuals that do business in the United States. Membership includes eligibility to vote for inductees into the American Furniture Hall of Fame, and the opportunity to help preserve the history and heritage of the industry. Memberships are $500 at the individual level, and $1,000 at the corporate level. All contributions are tax deductible. Checks should be made payable to American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation Inc. and sent to P.O. Box 2011, High Point, N.C. 27261.
The 2007 inductees – individuals who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the U.S. furniture industry – will be honored with the American furniture industry’s highest honor at a gala banquet on October 2 at the High Point Market. For information, call 336.882.5900.
The American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation Inc. is an international, industry-wide effort organized to research, collect and preserve the cultural, economic and artistic history of the industry. In addition, each year individuals whose outstanding achievements have contributed to the continued growth and development of the U.S. furniture industry are inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame. The organization is based in High Point at 202 Neal Place, and can be reached at 336.882. 5900.
June 28th, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) - Shares of Herman Miller Inc. dropped in Wednesday’s aftermarket trading session, after the furniture maker forecast a first-quarter profit below Wall Street expectations.
Separately, Herman Miller reported a higher fiscal fourth-quarter profit that beat Wall Street expectations on strong sales.
But the company said it saw a “high degree of variability” in the rate of orders during the quarter.
June 28th, 2007
Gujarat Global News Network, Ahmedabad
Godrej Lifespace plans to expand its operations in Gujarat with five new stores in different cities in next three years. The company which deals in home and office retail furniture segment expects good business from the state.
The company today launched a lifespace store in Satellite area of the city which has catalogue kiosk. The store offers wide variety of home and office furniture besides home applicances and accessories and lock and security systems. Claiming to be the leader in this segment Vice President and Business Head Shyam Motwani said that with increasing demand for readymade furniture there is bound to be good business.
The company is eyeing two and three tier cities which have immense potential, he said. The fact that furniture industry is around Rs.50,000 crore and only 10 percent is in organised sector reflects the business potential.
Godrej lifespace has 50 showrooms all over the country and 20 more would be added by the end of the year. Motwani said that last year the company recorded a turnover of Rs.100 crore which is expected to increase to Rs.150 crore by the end of this year.
It has two stores in Ahmedabad. In next three years stores would be set up in Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot and Kutch, he said. Godrej has also ventured into water filters and the product is expected to receive good response. Godrej refrigerators are a household name and there are 40 million houses in the country which have it.
To promote sales the company has launched e-mall where in one can log on to the online shopping portal of the company and see the entire product range. The goods would be delivered at doorstep free of cost, Motwani said.
For news in Hindi see our Hindi daily Chaupal Chronicle
June 28th, 2007
By EMMA JAMES
Shovels were gripped and dirt flew at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Ashley Furniture Home Store Distribution Center on Tuesday morning.
Located in the Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport business park next to Interstate 59, the 8-acre site will be home to a 36,000-square-foot distribution facility that will serve Lamar, Forrest, Jones and Perry counties, as well as the Gulf Coast, Alabama and Louisiana.
While the current distribution site for Ashley Furniture Home Store, located in the old Kmart building on Westover Drive, is a good location, Pennebaker Enterprises co-owner Bo Pennebaker said, the new distribution center will have more efficient space and be more centralized, allowing for better access.
“It’s the difference between going into a location and making it suit your needs and developing a site specifically for your needs,” he said. “The back end of the furniture industry is critical. We serve our customers during and after they choose a product, and we take a lot of pride in doing it well.”
Tentatively scheduled to open Nov. 1, the distribution center will bring 20 jobs to Jones County initially with up to 40 possible in the future.
“The distribution center site is very significant in two ways,” Jones County Economic Development Authority President Mitch Stennett said. “It’ll provide good jobs with good employers, and it marks the beginning of a new era for the airport.”
Airport and Jones County officials hope the distribution center site will open the way for further development in the 650-acre business park, which has not had a new business on site since 1996.
“We’re hoping that if we get one, we’ll get more,” airport Executive Director Tom Heanue said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but we’re making an effort to increase development in this area.”
Heanue said Hurricane Katrina opened new possibilities for the industrial park.
“After the hurricane, with the explosion of growth, people have begun to realize the potential of this area,” Heanue said. “The businesses we bring in here will provide jobs for people, and jobs are the point of growth.”
June 28th, 2007
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