Archive for September 4th, 2007
Staff — Kids Today
Our celebration of juvenile/youth companies that span generations continues this month with a glimpse of retailers Lullaby Lane and the Juvenile Shop and manufacturers Berg Furniture and Best Chairs.
In 1947, the store’s product mix was focused on baby and included children’s apparel to size 14 and more toys than it does today. There was one employee.
Today the business is still located on the same block but there are three buildings comprised of 20,000 square feet of retail space — baby and the online store, including the gift registry, represent 60% of the business; kids, 20%; and a clearance center, 20%. Harold and Rosalie’s son and daughter, Barry Gevertz and Debbie Gevertz-Licolli are running the business, though Rosalie works about four to five days a week and Harold comes in on the weekends.
“The business didn’t really start taking off until the late 1970s,” Barry said. “It was around that time that the department stores started getting out of the baby furniture business. We’re a full-service store with merchandise you can’t find in the big boxes.”
Barry and Debbie never really planned on being retailers. Barry was a CPA before he joined the business in the late 1970s and Debbie was an occupational therapist before she came to work in the mid 1980s. Barry says the fact that neither of them had to join the business is definitely a pro to working with family.
“We wanted to do this, we weren’t forced into it,” he said.
Lullaby Lane now has close to 50 employees and customer education, implemented by the second generation, is an important part of the business.
“Our parents were great at merchandising and selling,” Barry said. “But we had to build an organization because the business had grown. Initially we were just baby but now we have two additional businesses — the kids furniture store and the clearance center.”
Because of his background, Barry handles the financial and operational aspects of running the stores and Debbie is the buyer.
“I’m the head and she’s the heart of the business,” he said.
Barry says another benefit to working in the family business is the relationship he and his siblings have with their parents.
“It’s more of a partnership instead of a parent/child relationship,” he said. “That’s why we stayed in the business. We don’t hear ‘We tried that 20 years ago and it didn’t work.’ Our parents have always been open to trying new things and didn’t put us down because we were younger. They’re smart, they have good ideas and they’re still passionate about the business.”
As for the next generation, Barry and Debbie are not necessarily grooming their kids to take over the family store, but some members of the Gevertz third generation do work part time.
“Neither Debbie or I thought we’d be in this business,” Barry said. “We want the next generation to do what makes them happy but working in the store part time does give them skills and experiences that are valuable regardless of what path they choose. It’s good for kids to see where their parents work and to understand what they do.”
“In 1964, my father, who has nothing to do with the business, saw an ad in the Wall Street Journal about the Juvenile Shop in Los Angeles” said Lauren Logan, the third generation owner of the Juvenile Shop. “He told my grandfather, Robert Levinson, it would be a good idea to buy it and that’s how we got into the juvenile business.”
The original store was started in 1939. Robert, his daughter (Lauren’s mother) Sharyn Sanders and his son, Mark Levinson bought another location in Sherman Oaks in 1977 and closed the L.A. store a week before the 1992 riots.
“In 1979 I was working at a store called Joseph Magnums and it was going out of business,” Lauren said. “I told my Mom I’d come to work in the store for the summer — that was 30 years ago.”
Lauren’s grandfather, who oversaw everything, had pretty much retired by the time she came into the business. Sharyn, who’s been retired for about 12 years, ran the back end and handled all of the administration business. Mark, who’s been retired 20 years, was involved in every aspect from buying to selling. Mark’s daughter, Anna, joined the business four years ago and she’s currently the top sales person in the store and is learning the business.
Lauren plays all roles and relies heavily on her manager, Lisa Cook, who’s been with the Juvenile Shop since 1981.
The business is actually two stores, The Juvenile Shop and The Juvenile Shop Grows Up, dedicated to infant and youth, respectively. The store has changed a bit since it’s inception almost 70 years ago.
“Some things are exactly the same but the product has certainly evolved,” Lauren said. “There are so many more vendors and resources today. Plus, our consumers come in highly educated. We feel so fortunate to have such a great client base and we’re now working with second and even third generation customers.”
Lauren said when she and her mom were partners they worked very well together. Her uncle taught her how to shop the markets and do the buying but she says the biggest thing her mom did for her when she retired on her 65th birthday was to totally leave the business. The business evolved after that.
“She was totally about the nuts and bolts product and after she retired we took the store to a new level and started buying for a higher end clientele,” Lauren said. “Mom never would have carried a $150 blanket. We really got to know who our customers were and took our product assortment from Simmons to Morigeau Lepine.”
Lauren says her biggest goal is to evolve the store and keep it on the forefront of what’s going on in the industry. She wants to keep up with the Internet and keep a step ahead of how new consumers are shopping.
Berg Furniture’s Almog Lieber (right) said that working with his dad, Aharon, has been a satisfying expreince.
Berg Furniture was started in 1984 by Aharon and Zahava Lieber and their middle son, Ofir. The company designs, manufactures and markets contemporary baby and youth furniture. Having outgrown its original facility twice, Berg Furniture is now located in a 145,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehousing facility, in Barrington, N.J.
Aharon brought 35 years of experience in the furniture business to his company. He had worked in one of the major wood manufacturers in Israel and attended the Technion, a prestigious engineering university, before moving to the U.S. Acquiring his industrial furniture design skills enabled him to establish a successful company.
Five years after the company started, Almog, the Lieber’s eldest son, joined the business. Aharon is the president of Berg and oversees production and the financial side of the business. Almog is the vice president of marketing and is responsible for the marketing, sales and office staff. Ofir left the company to pursue his personal dreams back in Israel.
Recognizing the importance of product innovation, Aharon and Almog work together to develop ideas.
“It’s not uncommon for people to witness a loud dinner debate over a napkin sketch and two weeks later our first prototype is produced,” Almog said. “Obviously family relationships provide some workplace challenges and we need to practice the art of compromise. The huge advantage of having a strong sense of responsibility as a family member is sometimes an obstacle — we like to see things done our way. However working with family members supporting and trusting each other gives great satisfaction.”
During the first few years the company focused on marketing one or two designs to the metropolitan New York area and along the East coast. Today Berg services the entire U.S. including Hawaii and Puerto Rico as well as select international accounts and its product offering has grown considerably.
Berg is constantly renewing and improving its machinery and implementing the latest state of the art technology.
“We’ve grown from five employees to supporting 80 families today,” Almog said. “We are targeting the general furniture stores in addition to the children’s specialty stores.”
With nearly 25 years of business under their belts, the Liebers are looking toward the future and the next generation.
Almog’s children already are already involved in the business.
“Obviously, photographing children’s furniture requires models and both my kids have appeared in many of our catalog pictures,” Almog said. “Avigayil, who’s 16 years old, already shows some interest in the design of the furniture and has taken drafting classes in school. Tamir is too young right now, but, you never know.”
“It will be nice to see the grandchildren getting involved in the business,” Aharon said.
“As business becomes more and more complicated and the overseas competition floods the market with low-priced products, we are emphasizing our unique designs, high quality, exceptional service and on time deliveries,” Almog said. “We are choosing a few overseas manufacturing partners very carefully and still rely mainly on our own New Jersey factory.”
Almog says Berg’s goal is to partner with reliable retailers and develop long-term business relationships.
“We feel that manufacturing in the U.S. is still relevant and will be more and more appreciated by the American consumer,” he said. “We would like to see Berg Furniture as a home to many more employees and growing through to the next generation.”
Best Chairs
Best Chairs was founded in Ferdinand, Ind., in 1962 by Clem Lange and his partners with the basic principle of building the best quality products at the most affordable price.
Best Chairs is run by the Lange family. Mary and Clem (standing in rear) and their children (front from left) Brian, Glen, Joey and Sheila Wendholt.
The company established itself as a leading swivel rocker manufacturer in the 1970s and 1980s, and since then the product line has grown to include an assortment of chairs, recliners, glide rockers, office chairs and sofas. Total sales for 2006 reached $230 million and Best now employs just over 1,000 people. Within the juvenile industry, Best offers upholstered gliders, wooden glide rockers and the fastest growing segment, gliding recliners.
Forty-five years after founding the company, Clem now sits on the board of directors. His eldest son, Glenn, is the CEO; sons Brian and Joey are president and vice president of operations, respectively; and daughter Sheila Wendholt is the vice president of public relations.
Deciding who would play which role in the company was more of an evolution based on responsibilities. As with most family businesses, the next generation can’t help but grow up being involved in one way or another.
“We each worked different jobs throughout the company such as sewing, upholstering, working in research and development, payroll and order entry,” Brian said. “As the need arose for someone to step up and take on a responsibility, one of us did just that.”
Brian says the family members share the same manufacturing and managerial philosophies, which has helped them change with the times. Working with family members can be challenging, but Brian says the only downside he can think of is that family time away from work always results in talking about the business.
“At the same time, this could be viewed as a positive,” he said. “It seems as though many of our good discussions and ultimate decisions were based on conversations outside of work. It is a real plus that we are a close-knit family, get along great and share common interests and hobbies outside of work. Because we are so close, we can be as open as we want about our thoughts and feelings towards the business and we don’t have to hold anything back when expressing our opinions.”
Though members of the third generation of Langes are either in elementary or high school, one member has graduated college and joined the family business. Some of the older grandchildren do work in the business as summer help.
“While they all have complete freedom to pursue the careers that suit their interests and dreams, it would be ideal for them to play a part in the future growth of our business,” Brian said. “Regardless, the foundation of our company’s philosophy is strong and will prosper for many years to come.”
September 4th, 2007
D & E spans three generations of the Clemens family
BY ALTA MAYHUGH ,SVS REPORTER
STERLING - Brad Clemens is proud to be part of the family legacy his grandfather, Doc Clemens, established 50 years ago with D & E Furniture.
D & E Furniture was opened in 1957 by Doc and his brother, Ed Clemens. The store has since moved once, undergone several renovations and been a big part of the lives of three generations of the Clemens family.
The history behind D & E Furniture goes back longer than five decades, though. Doc and Ed’s parents bought a general store in Worthington, Iowa, while their sons were serving as electricians during World War II. They sold everything, including furniture.
When the brothers came back from the war, they worked at the store and installed electricity for communities in rural areas of Iowa. Later, Doc Clemens got the itch to have a furniture store of his own.
On his way to meet with distributors in Peoria, he passed a building for rent at 1818 Locust St., where Wyanet’s Butcher Shop is now.
Doc made the call to rent it, then called Ed to see if he wanted to partner with him. The two remained partners until 1978, when Doc bought Ed out.
Sears, at 320 Locust St. downtown, announced in 1976 it was moving to Northland Mall. D & E moved to the historic 1877 building in November 1980.
Jack Clemens, Doc’s son, has worked there since the seventh grade, when he helped with deliveries. He and his sister, Carla Will, bought the store in 1994; Jack bought out his sister in 2003.
“It’s pretty much the only job I’ve ever known. It kind of gets in your blood,” he said.
One of the keys to the company’s years of success is, D & E has never sold furniture at retail price, he said.
“This is a discount furniture store, meaning we offer good values on our furniture.”
He wants to keep the business a success, so the third generation can take over. Jack’s son, Brad Clemens, 25, now is in charge of the delivery trucks and warehouse.
Both men say they’d like to see D & E Furniture stay in the family, and in the area, for many more years to come.
September 4th, 2007
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers went shopping for everything from clothes to furniture last month, helping to calm fears that a key segment of the economy might be faltering.
Retail sales rose 0.3 percent in July, the Commerce Department said Monday in a report that showed strength in a wide array of areas outside of autos.
The rebound came after a 0.7 percent decline in June, the sharpest decline in 16 months. It was originally reported as an even bigger 0.9 percent fall and had raised concerns that soaring gasoline prices and a slumping housing market were beginning to take their toll on consumer spending, which is closely watched by economists because it accounts for two-thirds of the total economy.
But analysts took heart from the July rebound.
“Consumers are holding tough,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com. “They are surprisingly resilient in the face of near-record high gasoline prices and the unraveling housing market.”
Zandi and other analysts said as long as consumer spending continues to show gains, it will lessen concerns that the economy could lapse into a recession caused by the worst housing downturn in 16 years and recent turmoil in financial markets caused by spreading problems in credit markets.
Wall Street, which was battered last week by global credit worries, could not hold on to early gains Monday with the Dow Jones industrial average closing down 3.01 points at 13,236.53, according to preliminary calculations.
A separate survey released Monday by the Federal Reserve found that banks, responding to rising home foreclosures especially in the market for subprime loans, tightened their lending standards in the past three months. Over half of the banks surveyed tightened their standards for subprime loans, according to the survey, while nearly half of the banks said they had tightened standards on so-called nontraditional mortgages such as interest-only mortgages.
Wall Street suffered through some stomach-churning days last week because of worries about how credit problems that began in the market for subprime mortgages might spread to other types of loans until the Fed and other central banks around the world added extra money to try to stem fears of a full-blown credit crunch.
While analysts were pleased by the rebound in July retail sales and the upward revisions to activity in earlier months, they cautioned that consumer spending could still be shaken if the financial market problems intensify.
In a third report, the Commerce Department said that businesses built up their inventories by 0.4 percent in June, right in line with expectations. The gain supported the view that inventory rebuilding will help support economic growth in the second half of this year and offset weakness in such areas as housing.
David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor’s in New York, said he was looking for the overall economy to expand at a rate of around 2.5 percent in the second half, down from the 3.4 percent growth rate of the April-June quarter.
“You have to worry about consumer confidence, but so far, things are hanging in there OK,” he said.
Consumers, who have been the standout performers during the current economic expansion, boosted purchases in a number of areas in July, pushing sales at clothing stores up by 1.3 percent, after a big drop in June, while sales at department stores and general merchandise stores such as Wal-Mart were up by 0.9 percent.
Sales also rose at furniture stores, electronic and appliance stores and health care stores.
Sales fell again at auto dealers, dropping by 0.3 percent after a 2.9 percent plunge in June. Automakers have been struggling with slumping demand in the face of rising gasoline prices for their previously hot-selling sport utility vehicles.
Sales also fell by 0.8 percent at gasoline service stations, reflecting the fact that gas prices have been falling in recent weeks after rising earlier this year.
The strength in retail sales came as welcome news given that the nation’s biggest chain stores last week had reported generally lackluster sales in July, raising worries about back-to-school shopping.
Sal Gutieri, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, said consumers have been helped by continued low unemployment and rising incomes.
“The American consumer is not buckling in the face of swirling headwinds in the housing and credit markets,” he said.
WALL STREET NUMBERS
Dow Jones Industrials
High: 13,338.15
Low: 13,219.46
Close: 13,236.53
Change: -3.01
Other Indexes
Standard&Poors 500 Index: 1452.92, down 0.72 points
NYSE Index: 9428.86, down 6.18
Nasdaq Composite Index: 2542.24, down 2.65
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September 4th, 2007
CALEB HEERINGA,THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
BELLINGHAM — Police and fire officials are investigating whether burned furniture discovered early Saturday morning are related to a string of suspicious fires that occurred two weeks ago.
Firefighters responded to two pieces of furniture engulfed in flames about 5 a.m. — one at 601 E. Holly St. and the other at 1400 High St.
Bellingham Fire spokesman Brian Flannelly said it is unclear whether the fires were an isolated prank by returning college students or related to the six fires set overnight on Aug. 17.
September 4th, 2007
By: Furniture World Magazine
Recent International Furniture Transportation and Logistics Council conference tracks trends and advances that will affect furniture retailers.
Many furniture retailers are unaware of the professional association that focuses on furniture transportation and operations issues. The unique problems of transporting furniture from manufacturers to retailers and ultimately to customers’ homes has been addressed by the International Furniture Transportation and Logistics Council for more than 80 years.
Reflecting the shift to international manufacturing and growth in e-commerce, the name was changed from The National Furniture Traffic Conference in 2000. Issues discussed at their recent annual conference are of importance to furniture retailers of all sizes.
Retailer participants at their May 2007 annual conference included well known large operations like IKEA, Crate & Barrel, Art Van and City Furniture as well as smaller companies eager to strengthen skills in managing their overall supply chain. Companies represented every part of the business including those that handle transportation from overseas manufacturing plants, national third party logistics providers, regional warehouse/ delivery operators and local delivery companies. Manufacturers also were active participants. Some of the issues that are of interest to home furnishings retailers have been abstracted below.
Home Delivery: In the home delivery area, the primary challenge discussed was “alleged” product damage at customers’ homes. Companies that thoroughly researched this issue have found that while some damage is genuine, a significant portion is related to misrepresentation of product quality at the point of sale, and buyer’s remorse at the point of delivery.
Obviously these factors are largely outside the control of the delivery operation, whether it be handled by store employees or an outsourced transportation company.
Packaging Quality: Product and packaging quality is…
CLICK HERE to read the entire FURNITURE WORLD Magazine article by Dan Bolger.
September 4th, 2007
By The Gazette-Times
Benton Furniture Share has expanded its hours of service.
The nonprofit now opens its doors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday for client services and donation drop-offs.
Benton Furniture Share is located at 155 S.E. Lilly Ave.
It provides donated furniture to families in need, keeping furniture out of the landfill.
September 4th, 2007
By KOMO Staff
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Two early-morning fires, both involving furniture set out on the curb, were both set by arsonists, according to investigators.
Firefighters responded to 601 East Holly at 4:56 a.m. on Saturday, then to 1400 high Street at 5:02 a.m. Fire officials believe the furniture were intentionally set on fire in both cases.
Investigators are looking into whether the fires are connected to the string of arson fires that broke out several weeks ago.
Fire officials are urging residents to avoid placing flammable items next to roadways, as they may serve as targets of opportunity for the arsonists.
September 4th, 2007
By Nathaniel Smith, Staff Writer
]This week the spotlight falls on Coleman & Rhoads Furniture, one of the cornerstone businesses that helped transform West Frankfort into furniture capital of Southern Illinois.
Originally founded in 1973 as Coleman’s Corner by the father-son team of Brent and Archie Coleman, Coleman and Rhoads as it is known today came into being in 1980 when Steve Rhoads purchased the elder Coleman’s interest in the business. Rhoads, a Bloomington-Normal native and graduate of Illinois State’s University High School, graduated from Illinois State University in 1972 with a dual degree in Sociology and Political Science. In 1975 he was wed to Sandra (Book) Rhoads, a 1969 FCHS graduate, and moved to West Frankfort a year later.
In the 27 years since Rhoads became co-owner of the business, Coleman and Rhoads has grown to employ a dozen local residents and has undergone several changes, switching to the ‘Gallery’ system in the late 80s in an effort to allow customers to view what Rhoads described as a, “fairly complete representation of what a particular company has to offer” in an in-context setting. The business underwent a large expansion in1989 in order to create room specifically for their Thomasville Gallery, and has also incorporated Lane, Kincaid and Natuzzi Galleries in addition to offering other prominent brand names such as Tempur-Pedic bedding.
Long known for its creativity and innovation, Coleman and Rhoads writes, performs and directs its own local television commercials and also boasts an in-house decorating service. “We have three ladies on staff who are happy to go to a customer’s home and assist with their complete decorating needs. Their presence in the consumer’s home allows them to get a better idea of what kind of space they (the customer) are trying to fill and what they need to fill it. People are busy these days,” said Rhoads. “Their days are full and they sometimes don’t have the time to put toward decorating their entire home themselves. That’s where we’re happy to step in and give them a hand.”
Away from the store, Rhoads has also enjoyed success as a football referee, officiating Gateway Conference games for 25 years, spending nine years officiating at the Division I level and overseeing 8 NCAA championship games. “That’s my passion,” Rhoads said of officiating. “Those were some of the best years of my life”. Rhoads recalled one game in particular, the 1996 Division I-AA Championship game, noting that he had ‘flagged’ then Marshall standout and current New England Patriots superstar Randy Moss for unsportsmanlike conduct. “He jumped into the crowd after he caught his second touchdown, and that year we’d been told to put extra emphasis on players drawing attention to themselves while excluding their teammates,” said Rhoads. “It’s my claim to fame,” he added with a laugh, before pointing out, “He didn’t do it on his third and fourth touchdown catches.”
Though Rhoads said he enjoyed officiating tremendously, he realized he was missing out on some of his children’s activities during their youth, and retired to spend more time with family. His hiatus from football was not long lived however, and when his son David became involved in flag football during elementary school, Rhoads stepped into… the coaching arena, an experience that he called, “very fulfilling. I enjoyed it tremendously and it kept me involved in the game.” Rhoads ‘retired’ from coaching in 1999, but was once more lured back to the game he loves in 2001, when coach Jeff Rush asked him to help out with the Redbird football program. He has remained on the staff for the past seven years. “I appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to work for coaches Rush, Spence and the rest of the staff,” said Rhoads. “It has been a great opportunity to be involved with young people in a positive endeavor.”
When he’s not in the store or on the field, Rhoads remains busy manning a seat on the board of Southern Illinois Bank, of which he was an original member. “It’s something I enjoy a lot,” said Rhoads of his effort to support the local banking institution. Rhoads has been involved in many community-minded programs and ventures over the years, indeed too many to make note of in this space. “But I’m 57 now,” said Rhoads, “and I’m starting to realize there are limits to what I can do. But I still enjoy doing things to better the community. And this community in particular is full of people who make daily contributions in an effort to better our quality of life.”
There are a lot of volunteers, people who work behind-the-scenes to help make sure things get done, and they deserve as much credit as anyone else, if not more.”
September 4th, 2007
The International Hospitality Furniture Expo (IHFEX) was officiated today by His Excellency Dr Hassan Abdulla Fakhro, Minister of Industry & Commerce, Bahrain at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre.
Poised as the Middle East’s only fully dedicated furniture contract manufacturing exhibition targeting the fit-out of hotels, service apartments, commercial projects, cruise liners and other hospitality projects, IHFEX ends on Wednesday.
Speaking at the event, Ms Sylvia Phua, Chief Executive Officer of MP International group, the co-organiser of IHFEX, said,
‘The Middle East’s hotel and tourism industry has more than doubled in the last decade with new hotel projects taking shape every year. As such, IHFEX is timely as it provides the platform for contract manufacturers to start making inroads into this potentially lucrative market place.’
IHFEX features over 20 leading furniture makers and interior fit out specialists from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE. In addition, high profile contract manufacturers from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia will also showcase their latest designs during the exhibition.
A Singapore pavilion, led by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council, will include several established names in the furniture industry who have completed an impressive portfolio of hospitality projects.
The pavilion will also feature winning entries from the Furniture Design Award (FDA), which is presented annually to talented designers from across Asia during the International Furniture Fair Singapore/ASEAN Furniture Show.
Catering to the hospitality industry, an interesting array of exquisite furniture pieces and accessories will be on show. These include bedding and bathroom amenities, closets and woodworks, fabrics and carpets, tile and flooring coverings, lightings and fixtures, and more.
Exhibitors from Singapore include Cheng Meng Furniture, Chez Design, Classic Ideas Design & Build, Classique Furnishings, Design Studio Furniture Manufacturer, Getz Bros & Co., and Japfa Comfeed International.
They are joined by exhibitors from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Middle East, consisting Alomi Real Wood Floors, Creative Closets, Euro-Design, FOB Asia, LY Furniture, Middle East Mattress Factory, O.P. Design and Trevira M.E.
IHFEX will have a specially designed hosted buyers programme with more than 30 top tier buyers from the region comprising architects, interior designers, real estate developers and other industry leaders invited to attend the exhibition.
Mr Tony Chan, Project Director of IHFEX, commented, ‘The contract manufacturing sector holds immense potential for companies seeking expansion into the vibrant Gulf markets. We are confident that IHFEX will serve as an excellent business gateway into the Gulf region.’
IHFEX is open to trade visitors from 3 to 5 September 2007. Opening hours are from 10:00am to 5:00pm (3 and 4 September) and 10:00am to 3:00pm (5 September).
September 4th, 2007
BY WHITNEY WOODWARD Sun-Times Springfield Bureau
SPRINGFIELD — Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has removed from his office some of the last remaining signs of his predecessor, Judy Baar Topinka: her cigarette-stained chairs and smelly couches.
“Let’s just say some of the pieces had sustained some battle scars,” Giannoulias spokesman Scott Burnham said.
Giannoulias — now eight months into his first term — had $6,000 in “long-overdue” office furniture delivered to his Capitol office in August, Burnham said.
The shipment included new office chairs, two couches and a credenza for the treasurer’s second-floor office, Burnham said.
“There were desk chairs with cigarette burns,” Burnham said. “It smelled like smoke and dogs. Some of the stuff was pretty bad. … It needed to go.”
One Topinka staffer said he wasn’t surprised Giannoulias had to dump some of Topinka’s old wares.
“Judy’s office was the refuge for smokers. It was like a pool hall,” her former employee said, noting the ex-treasurer’s dogs also were frequent office guests.
Her pooches often lounged on the office couches, but the “menagerie of wild animals” didn’t “seem to have bladder control,” the former staffer said. “She had a staff who had to walk them [the dogs]. If not, they would find little surprises on the ground. They would leave their calling cards high and low in that office.”
Topinka said the furniture in her office was used but not abused. She said she tried to save money by not buying new pieces, if possible.
“We figured we could ride through, and if pieces went down, we’d replace them,” Topinka said. “To me, it would have just been a horrible expense. If a piece of furniture popped its stuffing, we’d reupholster it. We really played on the cheap.”
Topinka defends dog
But Topinka took issue with the claim that her dogs caused any damage.
“The Scottie does not shed, and it was not a problem,” Topinka said, in reference to Mollie McDoo, her Scottish terrier. “Other people had brought in dogs as well. Gov. Jim Edgar had brought in his, too.”
But for Giannoulias, the office face-lift was overdue, Burnham said. A couch in the treasurer’s office lobby was more than 20 years old.
“The bottom line was that the furniture was old, and it was clearly showing its age,” Burnham said.
September 4th, 2007