Archive for August 9th, 2007
— Furniture Today,
Stiles, Periman, Wright, Irwin are part of organizational changes
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Leading components supplier Leggett & Platt has promoted four people and made organizational changes in its Home Furniture Components Group.
Pat Loch, vice president of sales and marketing for the group, said the changes are designed to increase growth and sales leadership.
Ron Stiles has been named vice president of sales — national accounts and new business development, a new position. Previously he was group vice president of sales — national accounts manager for the HFC Group.
In addition to his new responsibilities for identifying and developing new business opportunities, Stiles will continue to maintain his existing primary accounts. He has been with Leggett for 18 years, in customer service and sales positions.
Craig Periman has been named group vice president of sales and sales manager, U.S. Upper Midwest region. Previously, Periman was in national sales for the HFC Group. In his new role, he will retain a leadership role in national accounts. He has been with Leggett for 28 years, and has worked in customer service and sales.
Chip Wright has been named group vice president of sales and sales manager, U.S. Lower Midwest region. Previously, Wright was group vice president of sales. He has been with L&P for 15 years, and has held various posts in customer sales.
In a related move, Carl Irwin, group vice president of sales and sales manager, Southern region, will have expanded sales management responsibilities, which now will encompass eastern Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Arkansas. During the past 32 years, he has held various Leggett positions in customer service and sales.
August 9th, 2007
— Furniture Today,
Over 25 exhibitors scheduled to show in Wheaton building
CHICAGO — The Greater Midwest Home Furnishings Assn. is sponsoring the New Chicago Furniture Market, set for Aug. 14-16.
Over 25 exhibitors are scheduled to show in a 35,000-square-foot building the GMHFA has rented at 276 Geneva Road in Wheaton, Ill.
The market will be open each day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with lunch served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The exhibitor list includes representatives from AICO, each of Ashley’s divisions, Berkline, Corsicana, Dutailier, Harden, Holland House, Jackson, Lane, Pastel, SitCom and others. University Loft will exhibit in a mobile showroom in an adjacent parking lot.
The trade group said it has sent about 2,000 invitations to retailers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Iowa.
For more information, contact GMHFA Vice President Ted Weisbach at (847) 910-7003.
August 9th, 2007
By: Furniture World Magazine
Select Comfort Corporation, a leading bed retailer, announced the company has enhanced the SLEEP NUMBER(R) 7000 and Sleep Number(R) 9000 beds. The new beds, says the company, combine the most advanced fabrics and materials and a modern, luxurious design with the ability to provide truly personalized comfort.
“The new Sleep Number beds represent the company’s desire to continue to innovate for the benefit of the consumer,” explained Greg Pesky, product director for consumer mattresses with Select Comfort. “The key attribute of the Sleep Number bed is the ability to adjust the firmness on each side based on personal preference. By adding layers of the most technologically advanced fabrics and materials available, we’ve taken the comfort a sleeper can achieve on the Sleep Number bed to an entirely new level.”
New Modern Design: Knowing consumers want a combination of function and beauty, Select Comfort also enhanced the overall design of the Sleep Number 7000 and the Sleep Number 9000 beds. Moving away from the more ornate Baroque fabric design of most mattresses, the new Sleep Number beds represent a fresh, clean, more contemporary design.
“With most mattresses, the look is very homogeneous. And the design feels outdated because it’s so extravagant and ornamental,” explained Brad Lohrding, vice president and design director with Polivka_Logan, a Minneapolis-based design house with a 45-year history in consumer product design. “With the new Sleep Number beds, we saw an opportunity to make a statement about the advanced technology found on the inside, by creating a modern, sophisticated design on the outside.” More specifically, the Sleep Number 7000 and Sleep Number 9000 beds move away from a bright white color to a more natural, neutral tone, while woven into the ticking are contemporary abstract patterns that complement the beds’ more distinctive fabrics, textures and finishes.
Personalized Comfort: The new Sleep Number 7000 and 9000 beds offer the same personalized comfort that has allowed millions of Sleep Number bed owners achieve a better night’s sleep.
Unlike traditional innerspring mattresses, the Sleep Number bed uses uniquely designed air chambers that allow a person to adjust the firmness on each side of the bed to his or her Sleep Number setting - a number between zero and 100 that represents the ideal combination of comfort, firmness and support.
“Studies show that pressure points have a detrimental impact on sleep quality,” said Pete Bils, senior director of sleep innovation and clinical research for Select Comfort. “When you’re able to adjust your bed to your Sleep Number setting, uncomfortable pressure points are greatly reduced or eliminated, and you experience more deep, restorative sleep.”
For more information visit sleepnumber.com.
About Select Comfort: Founded more than 20 years ago, Select Comfort Corporation a leading bed retailer. Based in Minneapolis, the company designs, manufactures, markets and supports a line of adjustable-firmness mattresses featuring air-chamber technology, branded the Sleep Number bed, as well as foundations and sleep accessories. SELECT COMFORT(R) products are sold through its approximately 460 company-owned stores located across the United States; select bedding retailers; direct marketing operations; and online at sleepnumber.com.
August 9th, 2007
After breaking a 13-month streak in April, furniture orders resumed their downward ways in May, declining 13 percent from May 2006.
Smith Leonard Accountants & Consultants in High Point, which publishes a monthly furniture industry report, had attributed April’s 12 percent increase to orders from the High Point Market, held in April 2006 but in March 2007. Combining April and May 2007, orders fell 2 percent from the same two-month period last year.
Furniture shipments were 2 percent higher in May than April but 7 percent lower than in May 2006, Smith Leonard reported. Backlogs declined 6 percent from April and 5 percent from May 2006. Inventories shrank 1 percent from April and 11 percent from May 2006. Receivables dropped 1 percent from April and 5 percent from May 2006.
Factory employment was even with April and down 14 percent from May 2006, when payrolls were down 6 percent. Retail home furnishings sales fell 3 percent from May 2006 and 2 percent from June 2006. But year-to-date, sales have increased 3 percent over the first half of 2006.
“Consumer debt growth is a continuing concern, but the recent report on consumer confidence is encouraging,” Smith Leonard said. “… With interest and inflation (except for energy-related items) in reasonably good shape, we just need some pickup in housing and sustained confidence.”
August 9th, 2007
NEW YORK, PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Select Comfort Corporation , the nation’s leading bed retailer, today announced at a special media event in Manhattan that the company has enhanced its entire line of SLEEP NUMBER(R) beds, which began with the introduction of new Sleep Number(R) 7000 and 9000 models in late June. Available now, the enhanced Sleep Number 3000, 4000 and 5000 models complete a new line of beds that are the highest-quality, most technologically advanced sleep surfaces available to consumers today.
“Many people are sleeping on innerspring or metal-coil technology, which is more than a century old,” explained Doug Scites, vice president of research and development for Select Comfort. “With our new line of beds, we combined our core technology — the ability to adjust each side of the bed at the touch of a button — with the most advanced comfort materials and fabrics available. The result is a line of beds that truly represent the future of sleep.”
The new Sleep Number 3000, 4000 and 5000 models offer the same personalized comfort that helps ensure millions of Sleep Number bed owners achieve a better night’s sleep. The Sleep Number bed uses uniquely designed air chambers that allow a person to adjust the firmness on each side of the bed to his or her Sleep Number setting — a number between zero and 100 that represents the ideal combination of comfort, firmness and support.
Building on this core technology, the new line of Sleep Number beds also incorporates advanced materials and fabrics that allow for everything from better moisture management to improved temperature balance, increasing the level of comfort sleepers can experience during the night and allowing for more deep, restorative sleep.
“Redesigning our 3000, 4000 and 5000 models demonstrates our commitment to advancing our entire line of beds in order to benefit consumers,” explained Greg Pesky, product director for consumer mattresses for Select Comfort. “Beyond adding advanced fabrics and materials, the re-launch of our beds allowed us to incorporate into our value models exclusive comfort materials found only in our higher-end models. We are extremely proud that we were able to enhance the comfort of each and every bed.”
The New Sleep Number 3000 Bed
The new Sleep Number 3000 bed is the first choice in personalized comfort, offering consumers the best value in a bed. The redesigned bed is constructed with a new, more natural microdenier blend cover fabric, which includes the addition of 33 percent cotton in an ultrafine weave. The functionality of the new cover fabric includes moisture-management benefits, which allows for a more balanced sleep experience.
Also, the new Sleep Number 3000 bed is plusher due to a 125 percent increase in fiberfill and a 100 percent increase in Hypersoft(TM)* quilting foam as compared to the previous model.
The New Sleep Number 4000 Bed
The new Sleep Number 4000 bed offers consumers affordable luxury, which includes the latest in temperature-control materials. The new cover fabric found on the Sleep Number 4000 bed is a more natural rayon/polyester knit panel fabric that is soft yet durable. The fabric also allows for increased breathability and airflow, helping a sleeper remain comfortable during the night.
The new Sleep Number 4000 bed also includes a one-inch topper of technologically advanced Intralux(R) foam, which is a premium contouring comfort material exclusive to Sleep Number beds. Resilient and responsive, Intralux is more permeable than other foam, allowing for a cooler surface and a better overall sleep experience.
The New Sleep Number 5000 Bed
The most popular model of the line, the new Sleep Number 5000 bed offers enhanced comfort and increased breathability. Exclusive to the new Sleep Number 5000 bed is the 3-D polyester spacer-knit fabric that circulates air beneath a 100-percent rayon sleep surface. The result is a sleep surface that effectively disperses heat and moisture, creating a more comfortable, balanced sleep experience.
The new Sleep Number 5000 bed also includes the exclusive Intralux(R) Plus foam, which is more dense, providing increased resiliency over the life of the mattress. The Intralux Plus material also offers three zones of contouring comfort, providing enhanced pressure-point reduction.
Each of the new models also boasts 2.25 ounces of high-loft fiberfill and a newly added one-inch layer of Hypersoft quilting foam for additional comfort and support.
For more information, including pricing of the enhanced beds, please visit a local Select Comfort store or http://www.sleepnumber.com/.
About Select Comfort
Founded more than 20 years ago, Select Comfort Corporation is the nation’s leading bed retailer (1). Based in Minneapolis, the company designs, manufactures, markets and supports a line of adjustable-firmness mattresses featuring air-chamber technology, branded the Sleep Number bed, as well as foundations and sleep accessories. SELECT COMFORT(R) products are sold through its more than 460 company-owned stores located across the United States; select bedding retailers; direct marketing operations; and online at http://www.sleepnumber.com/.
*Hypersoft is a trademark of Carpenter Co.
(1) Top 25 Bedding Retailers, Furniture Today, August 14, 2006.
Select Comfort Corporation
August 9th, 2007
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