Ameriwood expands sales in office, electronics stores
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 23, 2005
Wright City, Mo. — An expanded focus on home entertainment and home office is paying off for Dorel's ready-to-assemble furniture unit Ameriwood.
Best known as a promotional specialist serving discount chains in the flat-pack arena, Ameriwood has made inroads with better goods designed for office and electronics specialty stores since acquiring Altra Furniture in 2003.
"We've been able to concentrate more on those two key channels that we hadn't really addressed previously," said Jeff Sternklar, director of marketing.
This is particularly evident in the office channel, where the Carina Classics series, with natural wood fronts and laminate cases, is expanding at Office Max. At Staples, the Westlake collection, featuring the same mix of wood and laminate, also is getting more floor space.
Ameriwood, whose new president, Greg Carlson, was appointed by Dorel earlier this month, also has been developing new electronics-friendly furniture in partnership with Belkin, a major producer of switches, hubs and other gear that supports or enhances computers and electronics.
"That partnership with Belkin has helped," Sternklar said. "It's gotten us in the door at a few stores, and that's helped immensely."
Ameriwood will soon run its first branded product test with one of the national electronics superstore chains, and the company already is doing a nice business as an OEM supplier of television stands. Ameriwood also is working with one of the office superstores on a California Closets program that should roll out sometime this year.
These and other initiatives helped the second-largest North American flat-pack producer to maintain steady sales through 2004. And Sternklar said the company should enjoy good gains this year as Ameriwood sells more units at higher retails.
"Retail sales surveys show that the vast majority of RTA is still sold below $199," he said. "In the office superstores and the electronics chains, though, it does frequently creep above $199 and that's what we're trying to participate in."
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