Michael J. Knell — Furniture Today,
AT THE MARKET — At its first High Point market as an independent company, the

newly named Casana Furniture is staking out its position as an importer of stylish, better and best quality furniture with excellent service.

“What we want to be known for is innovative and affordable furniture at the better and best price points, focusing on the urban modern style that appeals to the 35-year-old-plus consumer living in an urban setting,” said President and CEO Roger Friesen. “That’s the point of view we’ve created for Casana.”

Casana is one of three components of the new Winnipeg, Manitoba-based Palliser Group, created this summer when Canada’s largest residential furniture maker restructured, a move that Palliser chief Art DeFehr said was needed to ensure a smooth transition to third-generation ownership while devising new strategies to compete in a complex marketplace.

First named Blend Furniture during the restructuring, Casana essentially is the import arm of the original Palliser, and was known as its World Trade Division.

Friesen said the Blend name couldn’t be used because of certain registration difficulties, and a new name had to be chosen. He noted that, coincidentally, Casana also is the name of the sixth brightest star in the sky. 
DeFehr serves as Casana’s chairman, and while he remains a major shareholder he has no active role in the company.

The remaining shareholders are all former Palliser executives and, in addition to Freisen, include Philip Klassen, vice president of operations, and Ben Horch, vice president of sales.

Unlike the old World Trade Division, Casana is offering upholstery in complementary styles.

“We intend to follow Palliser’s position as a leader in contemporary product in North America,” Freisen said. “We offer master bedroom, youth bedroom, entertainment systems, home office and upholstery.”

Freisen said there has been a shift in the North American contemporary market in the past few years, away from the European interpretations and towards updated, mid-century American modern looks.

“There’s a great interest in urban casual and urban modern furniture in the lower middle to upper middle price points that is going to give a point of view to the entire company,” he said. “Our difference is that our product offers urban casual and urban modern styles, and there aren’t a lot of resources focusing on that style range.”
Casana’s first statement this market is Simply Modern, a collection designed by Blake Tovin, a designer who has created and produced furniture and accessories for such companies as Vermont Tubbs, Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel.

The 50-piece collection includes three beds in two master bedroom groups, as well as dining room, two occasional table groups, an entertainment wall, two upholstery groups and two accent chairs.

The cases are finished in American walnut veneers and feature such things as wood drawer boxes, dust proofing, original hardware and leather headboards for the master bedroom.

“It’s a collection that allows the retailer to create a distinctive look on the floor,” Freisen said, adding the case pieces are made in Casana’s factory in Vietnam and the upholstery is produced at Palliser Group’s facilities in Winnipeg.

Casana also has a factory in Indonesia.

He said that nearly all the collections the company offered before the restructuring will be phased out.

“As we go forward, we will focus less on the transitional styles,” Freisen said.

Product alone won’t be the only key to Casana’s success, he said. The ability to deliver service and support also will be vital.

“We inherit a lot of experience from being manufacturers at Palliser,” Freisen said. “We have built strong relationships and have a measure of credibility. As we develop our business, we want to focus on creating an operational structure to provide effective distribution from Asia.”

Casana intends to replenish retail floors at the rate product sells, he said, and can provide direct container programs or mixed containers combining offshore case pieces with Winnipeg-produced upholstery.

The goal is to offer 45-day delivery on goods from Asia, which Freisen said is substantially faster than what’s generally offered to retailers, where delivery of imports can take up to 120 days.
 
“We want to develop the logistics that will allow us to offer 45 days consistently,” he said. “We want to operate at that standard.” 

Before the restructuring, the company had sales of about C$40 million annually.

“We expect to grow that aggressively over the next two or three years,” Freisen said. “There are a lot of opportunities in the marketplace.”

Casana is showing with the rest of the Palliser Group on the fourth floor of 220 Elm.