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Elmore named president of new import arm

By Thomas Russell and Ray Allegrezza -- Furniture Today, January 27, 2008

High Point — A Chinese case goods manufacturer wanting to sell direct to retailers has set up a U.S. marketing and distribution arm and named Joe Elmore as its president.

American Dream Rooms was formed by the owner of Dream Rooms, a manufacturer with some 3 million square feet of manufacturing in the Shanghai area.

Eduardo Herscovitz has been named director of international operations and logistics for American Dream Rooms. He was previously president of importer International Furniture, leaving in December when former vice president Anna Lucia Ceulemans was named to the position.

Dream Rooms will produce and sell a line of container-direct bedroom, casual and formal dining, occasional and some fabric and leather upholstery through American Dream Rooms. In April, it will launch some 55 to 60 bedrooms with five-piece sets ranging from $1,499 to $1,999 retail.

The groups will be made with American oak, American walnut, ash, cherry, poplar and Asian hardwoods. Styles will range from American country and French country to European traditional and opulent European. There also will be a mix of transitional, contemporary and urban designs.

American Dream Rooms' showroom and offices will be in a 42,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by Davis International Furniture in High Point.

Elmore, who is also a partner in the business, most recently was executive vice president of sales, marketing and product development at importer Master Design. Before that, he held a similar role at case goods importer HomElegance.

Elmore said the company is using seven High Point and Hickory area design firms, including two Pinnacle award winners, to handle design work on a contract basis. It also will employ an administrative assistant, a marketing support staff and a national sales manager who will oversee a team of 35 to 40 sales reps to be in place by April.

Herscovitz said the company will get input from retailers on product design, saying the company model will give them "direct communication with the people who are buying."

The Dream Rooms factory started about 18 years ago as an OEM producer of mostly youth bedroom for the U.S. market. About five years ago, it began concentrating on master bedroom, again on an OEM basis.

Production capacity totals about 750 containers per month, and an adjoining warehouse can hold about 400 containers of finished product, Elmore said. From there, the factory can ship both full and mixed containers.

The factory will continue to produce on an OEM basis for various importers, but will begin to concentrate more on building its factory-direct business.

Elmore added that the company may open a parts warehouse in High Point and is looking to lease a Las Vegas showroom.

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Chinese manufacturer Dream Rooms to sell direct here

Jan 22, 2008

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