Huffman Koos name to be reborn at market

By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, March 18, 2007

High Point — One-time Northeast retailer Huffman Koos will be reborn officially here next week with the opening of a 14,000-square-foot wholesale furniture showroom for the High Point Market.

Anthony Mehran, who acquired the rights to the Huffman Koos name and Internet domain out of bankruptcy in 2005, said the showroom at 209 N. Main St. will feature more than 100 SKUs of bedroom, living room and dining room furniture under the Huffman Koos label, primarily sourced from China and Vietnam.

A ribbon-cutting and cocktail party will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, March 26, to mark the event.

Mehran is CEO and founder of the seven-store, Passaic, N.J.-based Moda Furniture, which he plans to convert to the Huffman Koos name.

He said next week's High Point debut is just the beginning.

"There are going to be a lot of new collections on the way in the coming months," he said.

He added the company is considering having the High Point showroom operate as a Huffman Koos store during non-market times.

The company also is looking into exhibiting at the Las Vegas Market in July.

Next week's product introductions will include styles ranging from traditional to contemporary, and targeting middle to upper price points. Five-piece bedrooms are designed to retail from $1,499 to $4,999, fabric sofas from $799 to $1,999 and leather sofas from $999 to $2,199.

Mehran acquired rights to both the Huffman Koos and Breuners names out of bankruptcy for $225,000. "Huffman Koos is synonymous with quality," he said.

In the long run, Mehran wants to build a network of Huffman Koos in-store galleries and standalone stores through licensed dealers. At its first market here, the company will be seeking minimum space commitments from retailers, but Mehran said he wasn't ready to announce the size yet.

He would not disclose his investment in relaunching the name.

In a related move, the company has named David Savage to the new position of vice president and general merchandise manager. Savage, an industry veteran, worked for retailer Fortunoff of Uniondale, N.Y., for just over 30 years, the last 22 as merchandising vice president of home furnishings.