Former Thomasville CEO Pfaff starts import company
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, March 18, 2007
Greensboro, N.C. — Chris Pfaff, a former president and CEO of Thomasville Furniture Inds., has formed an import company called Bernard Christianson.
The company, based here, will specialize in high-end occasional and accent furniture, mainly sourced from the Philippines, with a smaller amount from China. It also will sell high-end dining and bedroom to be sourced in China and the Philippines.
At next week's High Point Market, the company will show about 15 accent and occasional items in a 3,000-square-foot showroom in the Atrium Furniture Mall, 430 S. Main St. The mix will help educate reps and retailers about the line and the capabilities of its main source factory.
A more complete product assortment, including occasional, dining and bedroom furniture will be shown at the fall market, Pfaff said. This market, the company will have some sketches of the full line.
Bernard Christianson has about 10 sales representatives, who also are working with case goods importer Rare Collections, which also shows at the Atrium. That company was originally called Sansegal Home Designs, but changed its name to Rare Collections after Sansegal decided to focus on a broader line of products sold to mass merchants.
Pfaff said Rare Collections will help distribute his new company's products west of the Mississippi. Some of those same reps may also sell Bernard Christianson's products on the East Coast. The company also plans to hire more East Coast reps, which could help promote Rare Collection's business in that region too.
The new company is the latest entry on a long industry resume for Pfaff. After working in retail and at manufacturers including Ethan Allen, Sklar Peppler, Broyhill and Thomasville, he was a consultant for about a year and a half, then joined Sansegal as general manager.
He held that post for about a year and left when the company shifted its focus.
He has hired Joel Schorr as director of product design and development for Bernard Christianson. Schorr worked in product design for Thomasville and Sansegal.
Pfaff said his goal with the new company is to provide a high-end, eclectic mix of furnishings. Designs will range from English traditional to Art Deco and Art Nouveau and other contemporary and transitional themes.
"Retailers can buy as many or as few items as they want, but the line is intended to be sold as individual items," he said. "Our company is small, but we have an aggressive business plan and will go after the better retailers out there in each market."
He also said the company will maintain a lean operation, with himself and Schorr as the principals.
"We don't want any excess overhead because we want to keep our prices down as much as humanly possible," said Pfaff.
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