China Direct halts furniture importing efforts
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, January 8, 2006
Davie, Fla. — Importer China Direct Trading is abandoning its efforts to enter the furniture business.
The company, an importer of souvenirs and other products from China, had planned to distribute a line of high-end case goods and upholstery in the United States. It also planned to establish a showroom in South Florida called China Mart, housing a variety of Chinese exporters.
But China Direct CEO Howard Ullman said the furniture business simply never took off.
"You can only focus on so many things," he said, noting the company is now concentrating on importing roof tiles and generators, largely for the hurricane-prone Florida market. "Right now we will put furniture on the back burner. Maybe a year from now we will be back on it."
The company had hired furniture industry veteran Lee Corson in late 2004 to lead its furniture division. While Ullman said the relationship with Corson hasn't officially ended, Corson said he had not spoken to Ullman since June.
Corson said he plans to focus his attention on Corson Furniture International, a case goods and upholstery importer.
China Direct also had said it planned to acquire a 40% stake in a Chinese furniture producer called Hua Wei Furniture Manufacture Co. But as Furniture/Today reported in August, the companies terminated that agreement. Ullman said his company walked away from the deal because an audit showed Hua Wei's "books were a mess."
He also said he wasn't able to secure a single leaseholder for the proposed China Mart. He said he won't likely pursue furniture until someone in the industry approaches him.
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China Direct abandons furniture plans
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