Kreiss, Agassis score in Vegas
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, February 11, 2007
Las Vegas — Executives of upper-end manufacturer/retailer Kreiss came away from the compay's first market here with the feeling it was well along in efforts to expand its line into select retail galleries, and to introduce its first branded collection with tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.
"The market exceeded our expectations," said Tom Kreiss, a member of the family-owned business now in its fourth generation. "We were thrilled with the caliber of people from all over the world, from Latin America, Australia, Indonesia and Germany."
He said the company is well on its way to a goal of having more galleries in the next three years than it has stores, which number 20 throughout the country.
Scores of marketgoers lined the corridor in front of the Kreiss showroom in Building B on opening day to get a glimpse of the tennis couple, who live in Las Vegas.
Michael Kreiss, the company's president and CEO, said the collection with Agassi/Graf is a collaboration that began two years ago and is part of a friendship that began when Agassi purchased a Kreiss piece early in his career.
"It felt like a natural extension of a long-standing relationship," said Kreiss
Until now, the 68-year-old company has sold its products through its own showrooms around the country. But now, it's also offering its California-look line to what Mike Kreiss described as "a handful" of select retail gallery dealers.
"We want people who understand the high end and know how to talk the talk," he said, adding the company expects to partner with other family-owned companies with "the same chemistry. We want them to be successful."
New galleries will require 2,000 square feet and an inventory investment of $75,000 to $150,000, Kreiss said.
Besides Agassi/Graff, Kreiss showed about 70 other pieces from collections at the market here, all of which are available to new partners. A sectional with a right or left arm loveseat in the Agassi/Graf collection retails for about $4,500.
The Agassis, who have children ages 5 and 3, said they designed their collection to be kid-friendly, something they found unavailable in hotel rooms as they traveled the tennis circuit.
For instance, Graf said the collection's coffee table, made of Italian limestone, has rounded edges. The sofa is washable.
The couple, who have been active in the design process since the beginning, also wanted to blur the line between indoor and outdoor furniture.
Agassi said the couple isn't sure what's next with the collection, but that talks have already started.
" We'll be prepared for another season," he said. "That's the fun of it."
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