Carls Patio acquires second California store
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, June 20, 2005
Coconut Creek, Fla. — Specialty retailer Carls Patio is continuing its West Coast expansion with the acquisition of a second California store, Berk's in Santa Monica.
Carls Patio, a division of Top 100 retailer Carls Furniture, formed Carls Patio West Inc. to make its first western acquisition last month, Saddleback of San Diego. According to Carls, Berk's has been a landmark on Santa Monica Boulevard for more than 50 years and is known as a provider of patio furniture to the stars.
"This is another great opportunity for us," said Carls Patio President Gary Ecoff. He added, "We are completely open to connecting the dots from San Diego north to Santa Monica and beyond, though not necessarily through the purchase of existing companies. We could accomplish that by leveraging Berk's and Saddleback in their respective markets in the future."
Berk's was operated by the Horowitz brothers, Chuck and Herb, before they sold it to the Crown family of Chicago in February 2004. The Crowns also own patio manufacturer Woodard.
