Jeffco, Peterman forge link
By Powell Slaughter -- Furniture Today, February 24, 2003
New York — High-end manufacturer Jeffco has signed a licensing agreement to produce a line of furniture under the brand of catalog legend J. Peterman Co
The initial collection is set for introduction at the October High Point market.
The offering will consist of at least 25 case goods, occasional and upholstery pieces designed by J. Peterman for manufacture by Jeffco Furniture.
It's the first licensing venture for both companies.
For John Peterman, founder of his namesake company and the man Time magazine called "the ultimate purveyor of armchair-adventure shopping," licensing is an ideal way to tap consumers beyond the reach of his well-known direct-marketing catalog.
"I've explored relationships with many larger manufacturers for years," Peterman said. "With Jeffco I've finally got the perfect partner. We both believe in offering things that are really, truly better than ordinary. Jeffco makes a wonderful product. I'm very excited about the potential of this line."
Jeffco also sees an opportunity to expand its market, as J. Peterman price points will be a bit lower than Jeffco's signature line.
Like Peterman, Jeffco was cautious about the licensing arena.
"We've been approached by many companies over the years to license their products, but until now, we'd never found a company with a compatible philosophy," said Jeff Gaynor, Jeffco's president and founder. "We have extremely high standards for our staff, our designs and our product. If we create it, it must be excellent, and we require the same of anyone we work with. When we met Peterman, we knew it was the right match."
Kerry S. Glasser, J. Peterman's licensing agent and president of New York-based Concept Marketing Group, said, "In my more than 15 years of creating high-profile licensor/licensee relationships, this is one of the very best examples I've seen of how the licensing process should work. The Peterman-Jeffco alliance has allowed each party to maximize their respective expertise. I am confident the consumer and retailer will embrace this quality collection."
Glasser has worked on licensing arrangements for Oscar de la Renta, Nautica, Jessica McClintock and Harrods, among others.
Peterman and Jeffco began talks last summer.
A big plus for Jeffco — a high-end company that makes upholstery at its plant in North Carolina, where it also finishes case goods made and carved in Spain and elsewhere in Europe — is the style vocabulary a Peterman license brings to bear. Jeffco isn't ready to talk about product in detail yet, but count on a lively mix of styles.
"This is a true world traveler and shopper, and we truly have the world at our doorstep," said Gaynor. "If a retailer wants to buy the six or seven pieces of the bedroom, it will be a wonderful environment, but if you use those pieces individually they'll stand by themselves."
Pricing is not in place, but he said the Peterman line will run less than Jeffco's standard line. Jeffco plans to use its existing sourcing and manufacturing structure to maintain quality.
"Where a Jeffco Neoclassical piece might have extensive carving, a J. Peterman piece would rely more on movement, and through the materials and the type of workmanship involved, we'll be available to a broader range of consumers than the standard Jeffco line," Gaynor said. "We are staying with what has worked for us, a combination of European craftsmanship and American know-how. (Peterman) wanted that quality message. He didn't want to go somewhere for the sake of price."
The J. Peterman catalog distinguishes itself with elegant drawings of the products it sells, rather than photographs. Jeffco will put that brand identity to work in the J. Peterman furniture's marketing materials, said Paula Gaynor, co-founder of Jeffco.
Each piece in the collection will have a name and a story, told on a hangtag designed by the same artist who draws the J. Peterman catalog.
"These won't be fictitious stories," Paula Gaynor said. "They'll tell about how and where the piece was found, how it came into existence."
The J. Peterman collection will be ready by September's premarket, when buyers should see a fully merchandised presentation. John Peterman will be at premarket and at the official October debut.
Looking ahead, Jeff Gaynor said the company will build on the initial round of J. Peterman product.
"This is not a one-market program where we go into his home, take photographs and do a few pieces. We have a contract that guarantees a minimum of six markets' worth of new product, and extensions that could take this out seven years," said Jeff Gaynor.
"The collection may not be for everybody, but for those people who want to get away from the homogenization of the furniture industry."
