David Perry
ORLANDO, Fla. — One of the nation’s most respected retailers came to the Larry Karel show here last month and proclaimed it a valuable event for his company.


Carlos Capo, executive vice president of award-winning El Dorado Furniture in Miami Gardens, Fla., led a delegation of family members and store employees through the 15th Orlando Furniture & Accessory Market here.

“It’s important for retailers to come here to know what’s going on,” Capo said. “High Point is so big. This is an opportunity to see other people that we do business with.”

One of those people was Gary Robinson, president of Restonic of Florida, who has been showing at Karel Exposition Management shows in Florida for 28 years. Restonic no longer exhibits at the High Point Market, but Robinson finds the Karel shows a profitable niche.

“The fact that I wrote more than $100,000 worth of business here last year tells me that this show is still doing good business for us,” he said on opening day of the Orlando show last month.

Also pleased with the show was Bob Naboicheck, president of Hartford, Conn.-based Gold Bond, a producer of futons and conventional bedding.

“A lot of the smaller retailers aren’t coming to High Point,” said Naboicheck, who has permanent space in High Point. “Florida is a very, very good market.”

He sees an influx of young entrepreneurs entering the Florida furniture retail scene.

Dan Kamis, president of Dixie Bedding/King Koil and president of the Orlando market’s sponsoring group, Florida Furniture Markets, said Orlando is a strong show. “Typically, it is good show. It is an opportunity to reach dealers who don’t attend the national markets,” he said. “Many dealers are in that category.”

Kerry Cochran, regional sales manager for Coaster, said there are “lots of dealers in Florida that don’t go to any markets” other than the Karel shows. “We do open new accounts here,” Cochran said. “We also rub elbows with retailers I don’t see at other times of the year.”

El Dorado’s Capo said the Karel shows have introduced his company to vendors that have gone on to become key resources.

“We started doing business with Palliser through Larry Karel,” Capo recalled.