Heath Combs — Furniture Today,
GARDENA, Calif. — I.M. David Furniture, a 40-year-old high-end case goods manufacturer here, has adopted a plan to sell its


brands through four marketing divisions — I.M. David, C.R. Joseph, Contract Workshop and Irving Martin.

Doug Stambaugh, national sales manager, said the C.R. Joseph and Contract Workshop lines have existed before and were reintroduced this spring, while the Irving Martin line debuted this year.

By marketing the lines separately, the company hopes to build brand awareness and increase sales, he said, adding that its customers want furniture that’s different from imports. All the company’s products are U.S.-made.

I.M. David specializes in custom orders, and makes barstools, poker game sets, specialty chairs and dining.
The C.R. Joseph line, formerly sold to select retailers, now will have fewer base and table options. A five-piece set will retail for $2,299 to $3,000, the company’s lowest-priced line, Stambaugh said.

At the Las Vegas summer market, the company had a soft rollout for its highest-priced Irving Martin line, which starts in the $5,000 to $6,000 retail range and focuses on customization. Macassar ebony, zebrawood and walnut woods are featured, and the line is aimed at high-end design and retail businesses. 

Stambaugh said the Irving Martin line will be expanded at the January Las Vegas market, and point-of-purchase materials offered. 

I.M. David, the company’s original line, will continue in the $3,000 to $6,000 retail range for a five-piece dining set.

The Contract Workshop line, a name used intermittently for 40 years for custom contract orders, has drawn interest from casino developers, restaurants and hotels, Stambaugh said. Contract orders can be ready in 60 to 90 days, he noted.

 “Few other companies can react on that kind of time scale right now,” Stambaugh said. “That business you can’t do any other way than with a domestic manufacturer.”

The company will release e-mail blasts and mailings to remind customers of each brand prior to major markets, he said.

All lines are made in the same factory in Gardena.