Furniture industry reaches out to hurricane survivors
Several relief efforts underway
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, September 6, 2005
HIGH POINT -- Dozens of furniture manufacturers, retailers and others affiliated with the industry are assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina in a variety of ways. Many are making cash contributions and others are donating furniture, bedding, and various in-kind services.
Here’s a summary of some of the relief efforts that were underway as of Tuesday morning. If you know of other efforts, please e-mail information to Furniture|Today by clicking here.
* Retailer Ikea is encouraging its customers to assist the American Red Cross disaster relief fund by purchasing a specially designed cushion in the shape of a heart for $9.99. The cushions will be available at all 24 I/S/ Ikea stores through Sept. 30. All money raised from the cushion sale will be donated to the disaster relief fund.
The retailer also is matching the personal donations of its employees up to $250,000, and is donating pillows and bedding to displaced victims. The company also is working on a long-term plan to donate $1 million worth of home furnishings as victims work to rebuild their homes.
* Bedding major Sealy has pledged $1 million in cash and product donations to the American Red Cross. Sealy officials said they believed the combination of immediate cash relief and products will provide needed aid to storm-damaged areas.
“Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this tragedy,” said Dave McIlquham, Sealy CEO. “We have employees, customers and vendors who have been directly impacted and we want to help the recovery in a significant way.”
In addition to its $1 million contribution, Sealy has formed a fund-raising challenge with employees across its domestic operations and will continue to collect donations through Sept. 16.
The company also said it is working with the Red Cross, its plants, vendors and suppliers to determine the best way to support the relief efforts and to provide assistance to those in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and surrounding areas.
* Mattress manufacturer Tempur-Pedic said it has produced “hundreds of mattresses” that can be shipped to as needed to facilities that are providing temporary housing for hurricane victims. The company also said it will match the personal cash donations of its employees from throughout the world. Employees in more than 60 countries are raising funds for disaster relief, the company said.
* Importer Powell Co. has donated the entire contents of its Tupelo market showroom to a group of firefighters there who are preparing housing for those displaced by Gulf Coast flooding.
The Tupelo firefighters, some of whom help set up showrooms for the furniture markets there, called Marty Libowsky, a sales representative for Powell, asking for help. Libowsky told the firefighters, who are using their own time to fix up unoccupied houses for hurricane victims, to take what they needed from the Powell showroom. Tom Liddell, Powell’s national sales manager, later agreed that the firefighters could help themselves to anything in the space — cleaning supplies, paint, bottled water and furniture.
Libowsky also purchased 150 pairs of shoes, carts of non-perishable food and gasoline for the Katrina relief effort on behalf of 100 Angels, a charitable industry foundation he created.
Retailers or manufacturers who want to help with the housing project in Tupelo and/or the 100 Angels Foundation can contact Libowsky at (205) 368-4815.
* The Tupelo Furniture Market is allowing its large parking lots to be used as staging areas to park recreational vehicles that are being donated to the relief effort. The effort, coordinated by the Tupelo-based American Family Assn., will provide the RV’s to families whose homes were destroyed by the storm.
* Rent-to-own retailers Aaron Rents and Rent-Way said that all employees in the affected regions will have jobs, regardless of when they are able to return to work. Both companies have several units that were heavily damaged or destroyed by the hurricane. Aaron’s has set aside $200,000 from its Community Outreach Program to assist affected employees, while Rent-Way said contributions to a similar fund for affected employees “are coming in from all areas of the company.”
* Bassett Furniture Inds. is continuing its bottled water drive in conjunction with the United Way of Martinsville, Va. A trailer parked at the National Guard Armory across from Liberty Fair Mall will accept donations through Friday.
* Bedding producer Therapedic is raising money for the American Red Cross and is contributing hundreds of sleeps sets, pillows and blankets to those in need. The company has launched a relief program called Operation Therapedic, funded by Therapedic licensees and its employees.
“Being an integrated company with the ability to produce bedding, pillows and other sleep items is helpful in allowing us to bring a total package of sleep relief to the victims,” said Gerry Borreggine, Therapedic president. “For instance,” he continued, “our pillow licensee, Soft-Tex, has matched each bed set with two Therapedic pillows.”
In addition, Therapedic is assisting the relief efforts of one of its key retailer partners, Rent-Way, in discounting the truckloads of Therapedic bedding that Rent-Way is donating to hard-hit areas.
“It’s in times like these that the core values of your retailer partners come shining through,” said Jeffrey Sherman, Therapedic’s chairman. “We need to support them in these endeavors, just as we do in business matters.”
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