— Furniture Today,
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Case goods resource Kathy Ireland Home by Martin is set to open a warehouse in south China


that will be stocked with product from all eight Asian factories used by the home entertainment and home office specialist.

The new facility will allow dealers to save on freight costs by ordering mixed containers that can be shipped directly to their U.S. distribution center. 

“This will open us up to midmarket dealers who can’t afford to buy a whole container of goods from a single factory,” said Karl Eulberg, vice president of sales. “A whole container is especially difficult to do in a niche category like home office or home entertainment.”

Previously, dealers not wanting a container from a single factory had to order goods from the company’s San Diego warehouse — a move that boosted freight costs, especially for retailers east of the Mississippi.

“With the mixed-container option, we’ll be as competitive as anybody (based) on the East Coast,” Eulberg said.

In addition to freight savings, he said the new warehouse will cut lead times to about six weeks — roughly half the time it normally takes to receive a container from China.

The company will stock about 85% of its SKUs at the facility.

“This will also help the dealer establish a more smooth product flow,” Eulberg said.

The new warehouse currently is 50,000 square feet, but easily can be doubled in size if demand warrants, he explained.

Eulberg said most of the company’s Asian factories already have begun producing items for the warehouse. Shipments will begin in November.