Archive for August 22nd, 2007
Susan M. Andrews — Furniture Today,
Will produce upholstery line in N.C. plant
BAY SHORE, N.Y. — High-end fabric source Duralee has acquired Cavalier Furniture, a 40-year-old upholstery manufacturer in Cerritos, Calif.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Duralee has shifted Cavalier’s production to its 180,000-square-foot furniture facility in Morganton, N.C., which houses its Duralee Fine Furniture and Owners Select lines of upscale furniture for the design trade, and serves as a warehouse for its Duralee and Highland Court fabric lines.
Duralee President Martin Rosenberger said the company is offering incentives to Cavalier’s West Coast customers to offset additional shipping costs created by the relocation of the business. He added that six to 12 jobs may be created at the Morganton facility.
Cavalier’s line includes about 400 furniture SKUs and an assortment of 700 fabrics, in addition to COM production.
Cavalier will be shown in High Point for the first time at the October market. The product will be available through Duralee’s first High Point Market showroom for its furniture, at 330 N. Hamilton, Suite 301.
Duralee also has a permanent High Point showroom for its fabrics, including its high-end Highland Court and contract TechStyle divisions, in the Market Square Textile Tower. The company has to-the-trade showrooms nationwide and around the world.
August 22nd, 2007
DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Furniture Row Companies of Denver, Colorado, which currently owns and operates 330 stores in 31 states, plans to open four jointly located home furnishing and bedding specialty stores in Sherman.
The Completed Exterior of the Furniture Row Shopping Center in Sherman, TX Opening this Fall (Photo: Business Wire). View Multimedia Gallery
To house the stores, the furniture retailer plans to build a one-level, 53,500-square-foot Furniture Row Shopping Center.
Crews have begun erecting the structural steel for the new Center located at 2201 Hwy 75 North. Construction is anticipated to be completed by fall of 2007.
The Center will contain four specialty furniture stores in one convenient location. The store brands include Oak Express®, Bedroom Expressions®, Sofa Mart® and Denver Mattress Company®.
“The Center will bring a unique furniture shopping experience to the area,” said Bill McKendry, Marketing Director for Furniture Row® Companies. “Unlike other furnishings retailers, our centers have four specialty stores at one destination. Each store focuses on a particular category and each store is managed and staffed with people who are extremely knowledgeable about their specific lines. And, best of all, they all guarantee their prices to be the lowest.”
Here’s a run down on each store brand and their specialty…
Denver Mattress Company® is considered unique among its competitors in the bedding industry because it is both a mattress manufacturer and mattress retailer. It manufactures, distributes, and retails its own private-label, ultimately providing full control over how its products are priced and sold.
The company uses the same components and materials as the leading brand name manufacturers, but because it manufactures and sells its own mattresses, it has eliminated the middleman markup. Therefore, Denver Mattress customers get brand name quality mattresses for as much as 50% less.
Sofa Mart® specializes in casual leather and upholstery home furnishings, as well as accent pieces such as occasional tables, armoires, and home accessories - the kind of furniture you would use in your living room and family room areas of the home.
The chain provides a large variety of styles, some of which are reminiscent of those found in high-end department stores and fashionable furnishings catalogs. The difference being that consumers will find Sofa Mart’s products more attractively priced and more readily available.
Oak Express® sets itself apart by only carrying furnishings made from fine woods like oak, cherry, maple, pine, and more. From dining and entertainment to home office, Oak Express offers consumers a chance to own quality, long-lasting furniture at very affordable prices. Oak Express is the largest cash buyer of wood furniture in the country.
Bedroom Expressions® provides a unique retail experience - a single store specializing in bedroom furniture, offering consumers a larger selection of better quality bedroom furniture at affordable prices.
Furniture Row® also offers a 200% price pledge guarantee. This states that if within 30 days of purchase, the customer finds the identical item advertised for less at another local store, Furniture Row will refund 200% of the difference! In addition, Furniture Row® provides a variety of financing options designed to cater to the customer’s needs.
Furniture Row Companies is also dedicated to partnering with charitable organizations. In these efforts, the Company has worked with World Vision and The Salvation Army to provide food and bedding for the needy. The Company has planted trees with The Arbor Day Foundation to ensure the future of our forests. Furniture Row also donates to the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions to raise both awareness and funding for missions across the county.
About Furniture Row:
Furniture Row® Companies is one of the largest family-owned specialty home furnishings and bedding retailers. The company is comprised of five specialty store brands including: Sofa Mart®, Oak Express®, Bedroom Expressions®, Denver Mattress Co®, and Big Sur® Water Beds and operates over 330 stores in 31 states. For more information, please visit www.furniturerow.com.
Furniture Row® also owns and operates a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup team. For more information on the #78 Furniture Row Chevy, the team visit www.FurnitureRowRacing.com.
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5476482
Contact:
Furniture Row Companies
Wendy Manning, 303-293-2437
Wendy.manning@furniturerow.com
August 22nd, 2007
Furniture Today,
Stores say proposed 20% increase will drive consumers to out-of-state competitors
BALTIMORE — More than 25 Maryland furniture retailers have launched a public campaign against a proposed state sales tax increase, according to a story on the Baltimore Examiner Web site.
The state, facing a budget deficit, is considering raising the sales tax from 5% to 6%, a 20% increase. The retail group ran a full-page ad opposing the move in Monday’s Examiner.
Retailers argue that Maryland businesses will lose customers to out-of-state stores that have lower or no sales taxes. The Examiner quoted Pasadena Furniture owner Ray Kenney as saying, “We compete vigorously against out-of-state firms. We’re pleading for our survival.”
August 22nd, 2007
By BRENDA OWEN
Pontotoc Progress
Another Pontotoc furniture manufacturer will soon close its doors leaving more than 100 people unemployed.
Upholstery manufacturer and multi-line importer Brookwood Furniture Company Inc. will cease operations at its plants in Mississippi within 60 days.
Brookwood Furniture will continue in the upholstery business through existing partnerships in China.
The Pontotoc plant will continue to operate until late September or early October, as will the plant at Bruce.
Regarding the closure, Brookwood CEO Dick Howard said, “Our Mississippi production and office personnel are amongst the best in the business, and we very deeply regret having to close our Mississippi manufacturing operation.”
A press release from the company stated, “Like many manufacturers, Brookwood has faced increasing input, operating and transportation costs while the upholstery category is under price pressure at retail. The company could have chosen to degrade the product by putting a lesser construction or materials choice beneath the cover, but felt that unfair to a loyal customer base and their expectations for quality and value.
“Recent years have seen consistent losses from the manufacturing operation, and the current depressed business climate has heightened that reality.”
August 22nd, 2007
– Furniture Today,
Talent will shine at the City of Hope awards dinner during the fall market
HIGH POINT — Event organizers have released the lineup of performers for this year’s fourth annual American Furniture Idol talent contest, set to take place Wednesday evening, Oct. 3, at the City of Hope’s Spirit of Life Award dinner during the fall market.
The dinner will honor John Disa of retailer Wickes Furniture and Kevin O’Connor of manufacturer Samson Marketing on behalf of the City of Hope’s National Home Furnishings Industry Chapter. It will be held in the Showplace tent.
This year’s contestants will include Kimberly Wray of the High Point Market Authority, Luca Ricci of DeCoro Furniture, Vanessa Rodiguez of City Furniture, Kelly Peterson of Hearst Publications, Larry Stein of Furniture World Magazine, Ray Allegrezza of Furniture/Today, Heath Combs of Furniture/Today and Greg Haptor of Huntington Furniture and Elite Leather.
“We’re really excited to have some very gifted industry people share their hidden and not-so-hidden talents with us,” said Jena Hall of Aspenhome, who is City of Hope’s National Home Furnishings Industry Chapter board co-president. “This year’s judges will have a tough job as they vote for the 2007 American Furniture Idol. The audience will also have an opportunity to vote for their favorite performer.”
Last year, the American Furniture Idol Judges’ Award went to make-up artist Terri Christian, and the Audience’s Award went to Paul Adorno of Taylor King & Elite Leather.
For more information about City of Hope’s Spirit of Life Award dinner, contact Michael Sandler at (800) 272- 2310 or by e-mail at msandler@coh.org. Information about City of Hope, a research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases, is online at www.cityofhope.org.
August 22nd, 2007
Ashley Furniture coming to Clarksville
By JIMMY SETTLE
The nationwide Ashley Furniture chain is planning to build a 42,000-square-foot store and warehouse near Exit 4 of Interstate 24, across from Cracker Barrel restaurant.
A Sam’s Wholesale Club is already located in that vicinity, and a Hilton Garden Inn hotel is coming to that area of the city next summer.
Jim Spencer, of Tupelo, Miss.-based Spencer Enterprises, Inc., a licensee for Ashley Furniture, told The Leaf-Chronicle he looks forward to expanding into the Clarksville market with the first Ashley store. The $6 million store is expected to open for business in February 2008.
“It’ll be an Ashley Furniture Home Store,” Spencer said, “and we’re excited about entering the Clarksville market, because we feel it is a good demographic fit for the company.”
For more on the story, see tomorrow’s edition of The Leaf-Chronicle.
August 22nd, 2007
Furniture Today,
Buyers can research exhibitors, events, then map out routes
HIGH POINT — Making the most of a market with more than 2,000 exhibitors and some 12 million square feet of showroom space requires good planning, and the High Point Market Authority is offering some enhanced online assistance.
Its newly upgraded Market Planner tool goes live this week on the market Web site at www.highpointmarket.org.
Both seasoned buyers and first-time visitors can use the planner to research exhibitors and events before market, then select and save showrooms and events they want to see. To find the tool, go to the Web site and click on Planning Your Visit, then the Market Planning icon.
“Buyers can search and map their route by company name, showroom building or product category, and create a pdf file they can e-mail to associates and/or print out to carry along in High Point, complete with a map of shuttle routes that serve the sights they most want to see,” said Brian Casey, Market Authority president and CEO. “With such a vast array of constituents, all with varying requirements, the Market Planner tool tailors the High Point Market to the personal needs of each attendee.”
This season, the Market Planner has been upgraded to include designations that indicate whether an exhibitor is small-retailer friendly and/or designer friendly, whether the exhibitor is a container-only supplier, has a U.S. warehouse and/or whether the exhibitor has minimum-order requirements.
“Buyers responded very positively when we created a printed market directory with these designations, and many suggested that we marry these designations to the Market Planner function on the Web site,” said Casey. “The result is a user-friendly, time-saving tool that will help attendees quickly identify the showrooms they most want to visit. Every marketgoer’s time is precious and, as always, we want to do all that we can to help everyone make the most of their visit to High Point.”
August 22nd, 2007
DUBLIN, Ireland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c66219) has announced the addition of “Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing Subsector in the U.S. and its Foreign Trade (1997-2009)” to their offering.
This industry report focuses upon the Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing Subsector. Industries in the Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing subsector make furniture and related articles, such as mattresses, window blinds, cabinets, and fixtures. The processes used in the manufacture of furniture include the cutting, bending, molding, laminating, and assembly of such materials as wood, metal, glass, plastics, and rattan. However, the production process for furniture is not solely bending metal, cutting and shaping wood, or extruding and molding plastics. Design and fashion trends play an important part in the production of furniture. The integrated design of the article for both esthetic and functional qualities is also a major part of the process of manufacturing furniture. Design services may be performed by the furniture establishments work force or may be purchased from industrial designers.
Furniture may be made of any material, but the most common ones used in North America are metal and wood. Furniture manufacturing establishments may specialize in making articles primarily from one material. Some of the equipment required to make a wooden table, for example, is different from that used to make a metal one. However, furniture is usually made from several materials. A wooden table might have metal brackets, and a wooden chair a fabric or plastics seat. Therefore, in NAICS, furniture initially is classified based on the type of furniture (application for which it is designed) rather than the material used. For example, an upholstered sofa is treated as household furniture, although it may also be used in hotels or offices.
When classifying furniture according to the component material from which it is made, furniture made from more than one material is classified based on the material used in the frame, or if there is no frame, the predominant component material. Upholstered household furniture (excluding kitchen and dining room chairs with upholstered seats) is classified without regard to the frame material. Kitchen or dining room chairs with upholstered seats are classified according to the frame material.
Furniture may be made on a stock or custom basis and may be shipped assembled or unassembled (i.e., knockdown). The manufacture of furniture parts and frames is included in this subsector.
Some of the processes used in furniture manufacturing are similar to processes that are used in other segments of manufacturing. For example, cutting and assembly occurs in the production of wood trusses that are classified in Subsector 321, Wood Product Manufacturing. However, the multiple processes that distinguish wood furniture manufacturing from wood product manufacturing warrant inclusion of wooden furniture manufacturing in the Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing subsector. Metal furniture manufacturing uses techniques that are also employed in the manufacturing of roll-formed products classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. The molding process for plastics furniture is similar to the molding of other plastics products. However, plastics furniture producing establishments tend to specialize in furniture.
NAICS attempts to keep furniture manufacturing together, but there are two notable exceptions: seating for transportation equipment and laboratory and hospital furniture. These exceptions are related to that fact that some of the aspects of the production process for these products, primarily the design, are highly integrated with that of other manufactured goods, namely motor vehicles and health equipment.
This industry report includes 168 pages of the latest market research information. In addition to the detailed explanations of the provided statistical data, there are 112 charts, 18 tables, and 2 maps to effectively illustrate the content. Use this report as an in-depth analysis of the industry, an industry reference guide, an aid for benchmarking and forecasting, and as a tool for uncovering new business opportunities. The report is considered the most comprehensive research in the market.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c66219
Contact:
Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager
Fax: +353 1 4100 980
press@researchandmarkets.com
August 22nd, 2007
Furniture design achievement recognized in 15 categories
NEW LONDON, N.C. — Furniture designed for Universal, Casana, Century and Drexel Heritage will vie in the major collections category of this year’s Pinnacle Design Achievement Awards, presented by the American Society of Furniture Designers.
The products are among 60 finalists in 15 categories chosen by a panel of judges in this year’s 12th annual ASFD Pinnacle competition.
Furniture/Today serves as the major underwriter of the 2007 Pinnacle Awards. Its editor in chief, Ray Allegrezza, will be the emcee at the annual awards banquet, set for Monday evening, Oct. 1, the opening day of the High Point Market.
Pinnacle judges convened for a full day Aug. 7 in High Point University’s Norton Hall to select the finalists. A panel of retail executives will pick the winners. Here are the finalists by category, listing the product name, designers and manufacturer.
Major collections
+ Better Homes and Gardens, by Berry & Clark Design Associates for Universal Furniture
+ New Traditional, by William Faber for Century Furniture
+ Simply Modern, by Blake Tovin for Casana Furniture
+ Walt Disney Signature, by Mike Black, Michelle Cushman and Steve Worthman for Drexel Heritage
Occasional tables
+ Chris Stacking Trays, by Alexa Hampton for Hickory Chair
+ Medley, by Ron Watson for Riverside Furniture
+ Wilshire Blvd., by Berry & Clark Design Associates for Bernhardt Furniture
+ Winston, by John Kolkka for Charleston Forge
Occasional storage
+Family Communication Centers, by Valerie Schmieder for Sligh Furniture
+ Hunterbrook Server/Plate Rack, by Barbara Kurgan, Jonsara Ruth and Lisa Yoneno for Bernhardt Furniture
+ Limbert Bar, by Ron Cosser for Harden Furniture
+ Metropolitan Bar Cabinet, by Troy Hollis for Lexington Home Brands
Juvenile furniture
+ Hang Time & Free Time, by Abigail Eaton and Dudley Moore Jr. for Lea Inds.
+ Hide & Sleep, by James Jannetides for University Loft
+ Max, by Michael Payne and Jeffry Blaesing for Powell Co.
+ myHaven, by Michael Warren and Shannon Lookabill for Stanley Furniture
Casual dining
+ Custom Dining Collection, by William Faber for Century Furniture
+ Hudson, by John Kolkka for Charleston Forge
+ Nautica Harrison Collection, by Troy Hollis for Lexington Home Brands
+ Ringo, by Deanna Miller for John Charles Designs
Formal dining
+ Christiansen, by Alexa Hampton for Hickory Chair
+ Lugano Collection, by Stanley Jay Friedman for Bellini Imports
+ Newhouse Dining Group, by Tom Newhouse for Harden Furniture
+ Wilshire Blvd., by Berry & Clark Design Associates for Bernhardt Furniture
Motion upholstery
+ Clever Recliner and Ottoman, by Michael Shields for American Leather
+ Doheny, by Michael F. Galardo and John Contreras for Elite Leather
+ Le Mans, by Jack Lewis and Gary Vander Wood for Barcalounger
+ Octavia, by Bud Caywood for La-Z-Boy
Stationary upholstery
+ Calloway, by Michael Smith for Flexsteel Inds.
+ Hayden, by Debra Halsey-Strother for Vanguard Furniture
+ John-Paul Sofa, by Nancy Genova for John Charles Designs
+ Manhattan Lounge Chair, by Fernando Villarin for David Francis Furniture
Leather upholstery
+ Arclounge, by Rick Lee for American Leather
+ Clark, by Lulu de Kwiatkowski for Elite Leather
+ Mood, by Normand Couture for Couture International
+ Velero, by Vladimir Kagan for American Leather
Home office
+ Alante’, by Joe McCambridge for Sligh Furniture
+ Family Communication Centers, by Mike Warren and Shannon Lookabill for Sligh Furniture
+ Kingsland Chinoisene Secretary, by Barbara Kurgan, Jonsara Ruth and Lisa Yoneno for Bernhardt Furniture
+ Liv360, by Andy Nielsen and Ken Levi for Aspenhome
Entertainment centers/home theater
+ Barolo, by Andy Nielsen, Ken Levi and Jena Hall for Aspenhome
+ Medley, by Ron Watson for Riverside Furniture
+ Mirabel, by Haywood West for Hooker Furniture
+ Nautica Harrison, by Troy Hollis for Lexington Home Brands
Bedroom
+ Belle Noir Collection, by Jorge Jaramillo and Margaret Leigh for Zocalo
+ Medley, by Ron Watson for Riverside Furniture
+ Nautica Harrison Collection, by Troy Hollis for Lexington Home Brands
+ Stonewater, by Tim Annas for Kincaid Furniture
Summer/casual
+ Coventry, by Frederic C. Doughty for Agio International
+ Dune Daybed & Ottoman, by Vladimir Kagan for Barlow Tyrie
+ Fifty-Five Chaise Lounge, by Mark Singer for Giati Designs
+ Kyoto Collection, by Richard Frinier for Century Furniture
Accessories
+ Cross Wall Panels, by Jill Rosenwald for The Phillips Collection
+ Curves Ahead, by Pia Cyrulnik for The Contemporary Couch
+ Prescott Park & Sun Kissed, by Christine Chapin, Jody Nebesnik and Valerie Suprenant for Company C
+ Natural Grounds, by Christine Chapin, Erin Desrosiers and Valerie Suprenant for Company C
Lighting
+ Intersections, by Charles Camacho, David Martin and George Chandler for Hubbardton Forge
+ Optica, by Ian Fowler for Decorative Crafts
+ Ribbon Floor Lamp, by Allan H. Palecek for Palecek
+ Stage Floor Lamp, by Ian Fowler for Visual Comfort
The judges who selected the finalists were Richard Bennington, High Point University; Clint Engel, Furniture/Today; Leslie Fishbein, Kacey Fine Furniture, Denver; Ellen Gefen, Industry Update Home Fashion Report; Francel Goude, RFG-Global Design Group; Jackie Hirschhaut, American Home Furnishings Alliance; Sheila Long O’Mara, Home Furnishings Business; Max Shangle, Kendall College of Art & Design; Julie Smith, Furniture Style; Steve Walker, North Carolina State University Furniture Mfg. and Management Center; and Rhonda Wolf, Havertys, Atlanta.
Sponsors for the 2007 Pinnacle Awards include Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc., Elmo Leather, Furniture Style, Hafele America, Hickory Springs Mfg., High Point Market Authority, Home Furnishings Business, Home Lighting & Accessories, International Home Furnishings Center, Leggett & Platt, Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., Showplace, Weyerhaeuser and World Market Center, Las Vegas.
ASFD members, sponsors and Pinnacle finalists will receive invitations and registration information by mail. Advance registrations will be $75 per person. Limited seating tickets will be available at the door for $90.
For more information on the banquet or the Pinnacle Awards, contact Christine Evans of ASFD at info@asfd.com or call (910) 576-1273.
August 22nd, 2007
Emmett Agee creates beautiful wood furniture
By MARK NEWMAN Courier staff writer
OTTUMWA — If Emmett Agee shopped at furniture stores, he’d be broke.
Agee and his wife, Esther, have a house filled with hand-carved wooden furniture. From the dining room set to the grandfather clock, nearly every wooden item in their home was built by Emmett.
“My father was a carpenter; I learned the trade from my dad, but I always fooled around with cabinetmaking,” he said. “I worked both trades. They’re both connected.”
A simplified explanation of the difference between carpentry and the cabinetmaking Emmett holds so dear is that cabinetmakers create their pieces in a shop; carpenters generally work on the job site.
Not that Agee hasn’t put in his time in construction: He was a foreman on the job decades ago that put the addition on the back of the Ottumwa Courier building.
Now 90 years old and retired, Emmett has slowed down. Slowed down, but not stopped. He just finished a music console to hold his CD player and CDs. Esther said her husband can be found listening to old country music nearly every day.
“He lost his wife; I lost my husband. After six years of being widowed, I found him on the dance floor,” she said.
They’ve been married 26 years.
“We’ve got 10 kids between us and have wonderful relationships with all of them,” Emmett said. “I build a lot of furniture for the kids.”
For example, he cut just the parts for 15 grandfather clock cases. He bought some “works” for the clock, then started assembling the clocks. He gave one to each child.
One of the clocks stands in his dining room today. It shares space with the hand-built dining room table and chairs. Nearby sit other Emmett Agee creations: a magazine rack, a plant stand and on the table, a lazy susan.
The bedrooms, the living room and the kitchen are stocked with hardwood furnishings, too.
“I think the oak is the most beautiful,” said Esther, “but it’s so heavy! Even an [oak] dining room chair is heavy, especially when you’re 90 years old.”
And at that age, Emmett has slowed down on the number of pieces he builds. Which, said Esther, is a good thing.
“We don’t have any place to put them.”
August 22nd, 2007
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