Boyd sets Kevin Sorbo line for Oct.
By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, June 24, 2002
POMONA, Calif. — Actor Kevin Sorbo, who earned fame as TV's Hercules and as Capt. Dylan Hunt of the science fiction series "Andromeda," is working with Boyd Furniture to develop a licensed, full-line collection.
Boyd is planning three groups under the Kevin Sorbo Collections heading, starting with a French country style to be introduced at the October High Point market, said Bill Carpenter, senior vice president of sales and marketing.
The first collection, not yet named, will contain 25 to 30 pieces including bedroom, dining, occasional and home entertainment. The bed or dresser/mirror will retail between $1,299 and $1,399, which is at the high end of Boyd's price points. All the Sorbo pieces will be imported, Carpenter said, and will feature heavy carvings and other labor-intensive details.
Boyd also expects to choose a partner soon to make leather and fabric upholstery for the collection, he said.
An English country group is slated for the April 2003 market, and the third — no launch date is set yet — will be an American look based on styling in Sorbo's new 11,000-square-foot home under construction on New York's Long Island.
Carpenter and Sorbo have known each other since before the 43-year-old actor became a household name.
"We were stuck on a plane about eight years ago for two hours and got to talking," said Carpenter. "We became friends and have been playing golf together ever since."
Carpenter joined Boyd in March, coming from Kincaid, where he was vice president of sales. At Kincaid, he was involved with three successful licensed collections: Ducks Unlimited, Laura Ashley and Thomas Kinkade.
The idea for the Boyd collection came when Sorbo was complaining to Carpenter that he and his wife weren't finding any furniture they liked for their new home.
Carpenter said Sorbo has had an active part in designing the collection and will support it through public appearances, including a two-day visit to the next High Point market. He said Sorbo also will make "limited in-store appearances" to promote the collection.
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