Archive for August 31st, 2007
David Perry — Furniture Today,
Bedding producers will gather in Plaza Suites
HIGH POINT — Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. is relocating and expanding The Bedding Center that it launched here at the spring High Point market.
The center, an aggressive effort by MMPI to boost bedding’s presence at the market here, moves to the first floor of Plaza Suites, a location winning praise from exhibitors. “It will be a major plus to be in a building where furniture buyers are shopping,” said Neal Grigg, president of Carolina Mattress Guild.
The Bedding Center, formerly in the Suites at Market Square, nearly doubles in size, growing from 15,000 square feet to 25,000 square feet for the Oct. 1-7 fall market. The space is sold out.
The roster of tenants includes two Top 15 bedding producers, Therapedic and Corsicana. Other exhibitors include Alfa Airbeds, Arason Enterprises, Carolina Mattress Guild, Eclipse International, Glideaway Sleep Products, Hickory Springs Mfg., Industrias Tobia, Pacific Coast Feather and Springwall Mattress.
Some of the companies have taken larger spaces. They include Corsicana, which added 200 square feet, and Springwall, which added 400 square feet.
“The response has been overwhelming,” said Tom Mitchell, senior vice president of MMPI in High Point, “but we are not surprised, since this is such an important category for our industry. We knew from our research that buyers coming to the High Point Market wanted more opportunities to shop bedding while they were here, so we created The Bedding Center to respond to that need.”
Gerry Borreggine, president and CEO of Therapedic, said The Bedding Center established “a strong foundation” at the spring market. He said the new Plaza Suites site is “a much improved location for our category.”
“We are thrilled about the new location for The Bedding Center,” added Jim Wall, director of consumer products at Hickory Springs. “We think this will be a great venue for our customers to see our products in High Point.”
August 31st, 2007
By: Furniture World Magazine
A survey of 4,700 callers who called the 1800mattress.com call center in late July and have school-age children who sleep at home or in dormitories revealed that a staggering 72-percent were buying bedding products for their offspring as part of their Back-to-School shopping. The significance of the news is that the Back-to-School period could now match the late summer “moving” market as the most popular shopping season for bedding products.
“The idea of letting my daughter sleep on one of those grimy dorm mattresses that who knows who slept on was repulsive to me,” said one caller from Long Island. Another caller from the Upper Westside of Manhattan said, “I pay almost $40,000 a year to send my son to one of the finest elementary schools in the country and to think he is sleeping on a hand-me-down bed just didn’t seem right. His new backpack probably cost more than his mattress did?”
“I think we are seeing the trickle down effect of consumer acceptance that a good night’s sleep improves performance and overall health. Parents bought into the concept years ago, and now want to share a better night’s sleep with their children,” said 1800mattress.com Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Retail John O’Connell.
O’Connell said that “affordability” also made it attractive for parents to upgrade a child’s sleep environment.
“For less than $150 you can add things like a mattress topper or a good quality mattress protector. For $250 to $300 you can get a quality futon, and for $299 or $399 a nice quality twin mattress. The modest pricing is helpful to parents looking to help their kids,” he added.
This Back-To-School season, 1800mattress.com’s 104 showrooms, call center and internet operations will focus on helping parents make the right selection to assure their children get a comfortable and restorative night’s sleep. Some tips consumers can follow:
- Make sure you are choosing a mattress that has good back support as well as your desired surface feel, or level of comfort.
- Remember that the higher the number of coils and the thicker the padding, the better the mattress quality.
- Keep height and weight in mind. If your child is taller or heavier, pick a mattress that will have support features in the right parts of the bed for their body specifications.
- If your child suffers from back pain or posture issues, consider models with visco-elastic memory foam to reduce pressure points. The memory foam allows the neck and spine to be aligned by responding to body temperature and weight for optimal support.
When you research mattress purchases, be sure to have the person sleeping on the product wear comfortable clothing and use a pillow similar to one at home.
- Test the new bed at home for several nights. A reputable dealer will have a comfort exchange policy allowing you to try your bed at home for several weeks, or allow you to exchange it for another model.
Founded in 1976, 1800mattress.com is a leading national multi-channel (internet, call center and showrooms) retailer of mattresses, box springs and bedding products. It features products by Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Tempurpedic, and King Koil among others from its 30 beds and mattress menu, including custom sizes, futons, and adjustable and organic beds. Its award winning customer service is well chronicled in thousands of media articles and books. The company was also the first mattress retailer to introduce a two-hour delivery window, and fast national and international delivery of its products. Its business-to-business sales division supplies schools, hospitals, hotels and other institutions. For more information, please visit www.1800mattress.com.
August 31st, 2007
Furniture Today,
Had been VP at Merchandise Mart Properties Inc.
HIGH POINT — Veteran leasing executive Walt Goldsby has joined the International Home Furnishings Center as vice president of leasing, a new position for High Point’s largest showroom building.
He will work with Tom Loney, IHFC executive vice president, in overseeing leasing at the 3.5 million-square-foot complex. Goldsby and Loney report to Tom Lindh, president and CEO.
“Walt’s fresh perspective and knack for creating and sustaining greater business opportunities for retailers and designers means greater value for our roster of important exhibitors,” Lindh said.
Goldsby most recently was vice president of sales for Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. in High Point, where he headed a staff of eight leasing managers. MMPI owns several downtown showroom buildings including Market Square, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart.
Earlier, he was group vice president of VNU Expositions, an Atlanta-based trade show producer.
August 31st, 2007
By Jeff Keeling,Press Business Writer
The late Princess Diana’s younger brother Charles will visit a local furniture shop Sept. 8 to promote a line of furniture based on his ancestral home.
Owner Carl Young of Youngdale Interiors, 214 E. Mountcastle Drive, said the private two-hour reception should allow around 300 people to meet Charles, 9th Earl Spencer, who introduced the “Althorp Living History Collection” last year.
“We’re excited about his visit, that’s for sure,” said Young, who added that the 300-odd pieces available through the collection have sold well since the store started carrying them late last year.
“We’re going to have as many of those pieces on the floor as we can, and certainly the premier pieces we think are going to be good sellers,” Young said.
The visit comes as interest in Princess Diana surges, with today marking the 10th anniversary of her death.
The 43-year-old Spencer decided to introduce the line of “reproduction furnishings” to help offset the costs associated with preserving and maintaining Althorp, which has been home to the Spencer family for 500 years. All proceeds from sales of the collection — which is being produced in partnership with furniture maker Theodore Alexander — go to helping maintain Althorp.
The home outside Northampton is open to the public at certain dates and times each year. Charles Edward Maurice Spencer became the 9th Earl Spencer on the death of his father in 1992.
Young said Spencer will be coming to Johnson City from an event in Jacksonville, Fla.
He said he was unsure of how the Althorp line would go over in the Johnson City area when it debuted a couple years ago.
“As time went on, I saw these beautiful pieces coming out, and they were very cost-effective,” Young said. “Not cheap, but not anywhere close to what people would think to look at it.”
Young, who opened the store in 1990 and runs it with his wife, Kathryn, said the response to the line has been one of the most exciting things he’s experienced in operating the store. He said the furniture and accessories have sold without advertising.
“People were buying, and not necessarily because they were out of the Althorp mansion but because of the beauty of the handmade pieces and that they’re priced right.”
August 31st, 2007
Smoldering even today, what once was Butler’s Furniture is still being checked out. Now the top state investigators are in Athens sifting through the debris and searching for a cause.
State Fire Marshall Edward S. Paulk said, “The investigation is on going and it’s progressing nicely.”
This was once considered a historical part of this town. And locals just want to know what happened.
“We’re still in the process of determining where the fire started and what caused it.”
That process has them checking into everything.
“It’s cooled down and we’ve been able to get in there. We’re in the process of probably finalizing the scenic examination today and we’ll be waiting on some laboratory results, from samples taken and things of that nature.”
Even after all this time, the smoky remains have a tale to tell and investigators are the ones to interpret it.
“I think we’ll have an update, probably by the end of next week.”
August 31st, 2007
by Rin Simpson, Western Mail
A RANGE of furniture inspired by some of Wales’ most significant historic sites has gone on display at the London New Designers Show.
Up-and-coming furniture designer Cathy Evans, from Pontyclun, is displaying her first exhibition at the prestigious event.
The gothic fantasy of Castell Coch, near Cardiff, right, has been a particular inspiration for the young designer, who studied cabinet making at Bridgend College before taking a Foundation Course in Art and Design at the University of Glamorgan.
Cathy said, “My delight is in designing and making every item myself, and hope it will bring happiness to others.
“The furniture is designed and crafted without compromise to allow the enjoyment of the article to last for generations.
“I want to create pieces of history to inspire others – just as heritage history, and in particular Castell Coch, has inspired me.”
Lesley Evans, Castell Coch’s Head custodian, said, “Castell Coch is in itself a bold expression of Victorian creativity and ingenuity and it is fantastic that Cathy, as she starts on her new business venture, should have taken this magical site as inspiration for her work.
“It’s great that a local designer has also been inspired to create her own pieces.”
August 31st, 2007
FURNITURE
One of Charlotte’s oldest stores, Mecklenburg Furniture Co. on Providence Road, has closed. The store closed Monday, owner Melvin Vanderburg said Wednesday. He said he could not afford to operate it because of a big increase in rent.Vanderburg said he bought Mecklenburg Furniture 17 years ago.
The store opened in December 1940, and was known as Mecklenburg Furniture Shops back then. It moved from Tryon Street to Providence Road in 1966.
Vanderburg, who runs privately held K-Town Furniture Inc., also has closed furniture stores in Concord and Salisbury. He said he is concentrating on his Kannapolis furniture store operations around Cannon Village. — adam bell
August 31st, 2007
Store aimed at toddlers through tweens
By Lisa Casinger
Jami Myers, former buyer for furniture retailer Breuners Arizona, is opening her own children’s furniture store in Scottsdale, Ariz. Jami B’z is set to open Sept. 1.
The 5,900-square-foot store carries furniture and accessories geared toward toddlers to tweens, though it also shows a crib to promote its Young America line. Myers is displaying 23 beds, including some full beds.
“The store is set up in a large U shape,” Myers said. “There are 14 vignettes around the store and nine more beds down the center aisle. Some are complimented by accent pieces while others are dressed in themes with accent rugs and accessories to coordinate.”
Major furniture partners include Young America, Lea Inds., A.P. Inds. and John Boyd. Myers also is in the final stages of creating her own private label furniture collection that will be made locally. The line will be for boys and girls with a more modern, contemporary feel.
“We’ll also offer ‘in-home’ design by getting to know the child’s hobbies, likes and dislikes and assisting in space planning,” Myers said. “Our motto, if you will, is that no two rooms will be alike!”
Myers, a Chicago native, turned her degree in interior design from the University of Arizona into a career in the home furnishings industry and spent the past 15 years at Breuners Arizona.
With Jami B’z, her goal is to “make the store something different; something that I hope moms talk about.”
To that end, she’s incorporating the work of a local children’s photographer into the displays. She’s painted the 20 foot-high ceiling black to make it almost disappear and suspended the photographer’s huge stretched canvas portraits over the beds in the center aisle. The portraits show close-ups of children’s faces from toddler to tween.
“When I found out Breuners was closing, I was speechless; I grew up there,” Myers said. “The knowledge and relationships with co-workers and factories have been priceless, and I am blessed to have had some wonderful teachers over all those years. That is what helps me sleep at night, knowing that they will be with me in this new adventure.”
August 31st, 2007
Sophos protecting furniture retailer against spam and viruses
Sophos, a world leader in IT security and control, today announced that Jordan’s Furniture, Inc., one of New England’s most recognized furniture retailers, has selected Sophos Endpoint Security and Control to protect its desktops against viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, adware, potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) and hackers.
For the past two years, Jordan’s Furniture has trusted Sophos PureMessage to defend its email gateway from spam. Recently, the retailer added virus protection to its security suite. Implementing Sophos at both the email gateway and endpoint will provide tighter integrated security while lowering total cost of ownership.
Earning the greatest return on investment, Sophos Endpoint Security and Control was selected for its superior detection technology, high performance, and strong feature set, including: desktop firewall, application control and HIPS, frequent updates, and broad operating system support. Jordan’s Furniture purchased Sophos solutions through Sophos Platinum Channel Partner, Softchoice. For the next 3 years, more than 1400 employees will be safeguarded with Sophos’s comprehensive solution.
“Managing different vendor security solutions caused higher administrative overhead, and we wanted to enhance our level of desktop protection,” said Peter Clark, director of information systems at Jordan’s Furniture. “Sophos’s Enterprise Console provides ease-of-use and uncomplicated deployment with full Active Directory integration. In the end, Sophos consistently outperformed the others in many key areas and provided better security with its expedited updates, better zero-day protection, and application control functionality.”
“Rather than managing multiple point products to stop different threats, more organizations are opting to use a unified single client to protect against malware, adware, potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) and hackers,” said Steve Leslie, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Softchoice. “Jordan’s Furniture has built a very strong brand and loyal customer base in the New England region, and protecting its network and customer information is a top priority. I am confident that with partners like Sophos, we will continue to play a vital role in helping organizations to both simplify and enhance the security management process going forward.”
August 31st, 2007
Furniture Brands Names William Holliman President of Its Lane Furniture Brand
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Residential furniture maker Furniture Brands International Inc. said Wednesday it named William Holliman the president of its Lane Furniture Industries Inc. unit.
Holliman most recently served as an executive vice president of supply chain at Lane.
Furniture Brands also said Jeff Young has resigned as president and chief executive of HDM Furniture Industries, another of Furniture Brands six units. Furniture Brands said the resignation was by “mutual agreement” but did not provide more details.
John T. Foy, currently president and chief operating officer of Furniture Brands, will oversee day-to-day operations of HDM on an interim basis while the company searches for a permanent replacement.
Shares of Furniture Brands rose 32 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $11.20 in afternoon trading. Shares have traded between $10.78 and $20.96 during the past 12 months.
August 31st, 2007
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