Log In   |  Register Free Newsletter Subscription
Skip navigation
Zibb
Subscribe to Furniture Today
Resource Center graphic
RSS
Reprints/License
Print
Email

Mississippi startup offers hospitality seating

InnOvation also looking at residential market

Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, June 19, 2009

TUPELO, Miss. — Hospitality industry veterans Phil Hoffman and Bill Cotter have launched an upholstered furniture company for the hospitality industry and is looking at adding production for a line of residential seating.

InnOvation Seating Solutions opened in April and sells through FF&E (Furniture Fixtures and Equipment) dealers, which offer turnkey packages - furniture, exercise room, kitchen equipment, etc. - to hotel chains.

Hoffman, InnOvation's CEO, said the company is participating in supply programs for Best Western and Choice Hotels, whose brands are Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Econolodge and several others.

InnOvation is manufacturing sofas, chairs and ottomans in a facility formerly used by upholstery maker Westwood Inds. It has a dozen employees and expects to have a workforce of about 40 by December and 100 by this time next year.

Hoffman projects sales of about $8 million this year and $10 million in each of the next two years.

"We based our budget on the current economy," he said. "We're a little ahead of schedule for the first 90 days. With the order trend we have right now, I'm pretty excited."

Hoffman, who spent the past 28 years as an executive for a hospitality seating company, including 10 years as president, is investigating opening a line of residential upholstery for independent dealers in the Southeast. Previously, Hoffman was with residential companies Garrison Furniture and Ward-DeSoto, both in Fort Smith, Ark.

The target for the residential line would be smaller independents "looking for something that doesn't put them against competitors" like Ashley and mass merchants who import containers.

"I don't want to do promotional," he added. "I want to offer nice products with sleeper mechanisms available."

In hospitality, nine of 10 sofas manufactured are sleepers, he said, adding, "It's almost easier to run a sleeper than a stationary because that's what we run all day."

Other InnOvation executives include Hoffman's wife, Barbara, president; Cotter, vice president of sales; Ed Bartee, chief financial officer; and Tom Gilmer, vice president of manufacturing.

RSS
Reprints/License
Print
Email
Related Content
Reed Business Information Resource Center

Featured Company


Most Recent Resources

Advertisement

Related Microsite Content

Related Links

  • No Related Content Available

More Content
  • Blogs
  • Photos

Jim Green

Furniture Biz 101

Jim Green
November 13, 2009
2010
I just read Jerry Epperson’s piece written for his company’s monthly...
More

Dana French

Research Says

Dana French Research Says Blog Profile
November 12, 2009
The cross-shopping phenomenon
Cross-channel shopping, where consumers shop for and research products online, but...
More

VIEW ALL BLOGS RSS
GuildMaster chest

Best of Market: More market highlights

Here is a sampling of some of the stylish new products catching dealers' eyes at the October High Point Market. For more coverage, see Furniture/Today's Nov. 2 print issue. When you're done viewing the photos in this Slideshow, more images of hot introductions also are available on the Furniture/Today Web site by clicking here.

 

 

High Point Market scene, 1955

Scenes from the High Point Market's past 100 years

The High Point Market is marking its 100th anniversary this April. To help celebrate this milestone, Furniture/Today presents some pictorial highlights of the past 100 years.

FT Industry Resources module
Advertisement
eNewsletters
Furniture Today eDaily
Furniture Today eClassifieds
Bedding Today
Furniture Today Green
Casual Living eWeekly
Home Accents Today eWeekly
Home Accents Today Product Line
Home Textiles Today Extra
Hospitality Furnishings Today
Gifts & Dec Direct
Gifts & Dec Product Wire
Kids Today eWeekly
Playthings Extra



Please read our Privacy Policy

About Us   |   Advertise   |   Site Map   |   Contact Us   |   Subscription   |   Affiliate Links   |   RSS
© 2009 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Use of this Web site is subject to its Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Please visit these other Reed Business sites