Ison teams with Casa Bique to grow imports line
Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, July 12, 2004
Thomasville, N.C. — Case goods importer Ison International is planning to contract with Classics by Casa Bique to expand the number of finishes and fabrics offered in the Ison line.
Ison International imports accent chairs, occasional pieces and small tables from India, Indonesia and Romania, and will have some products finished at Classics by Casa Bique's Thomasville plant.
Ison plans to add at least 14 more finishes beyond the half dozen it currently offers. It now offers basic finishes such as black, white, mahogany and red, and plans to expand to include custom antique and crackle finishes.
"This gives us better options to finish our product for the American market," said Phil Ison, company president.
Ison is looking to provide more customized goods, primarily to the design trade and small retailers. In addition to custom finishes, it plans to expand its fabric offerings and have the Classics by Casa Bique plant put the additional fabrics on upholstery frames.
The Thomasville plant has adjoining warehouse space, which will allow Ison to house unfinished products and ship them once they are custom finished.
The plan ties in with Ison's existing four-week quick-ship program. About 30 of the custom-finished products are targeted to be on the quick-ship program, and the number could grow based on demand.
"As we see more of what the customer likes, that is what we are expecting to bring in," Ison said.
