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Lexington's new Henry Link Trading Co. brand to be its biggest introduction

Company will offer 180-plus SKUs at High Point Market

Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, February 7, 2011

The Henry Link Trading Company collection by Lexington Home Brands has more than 180 pieces including items shown in this room display, such as a stacked trunk cocktail table, accent tables and chairs with curved rattan frames.

This bunching campaign chest in a burnished finish incorporates woven wicker in the drawer fronts and features custom hardware.

This monogrammed stacked-trunk cocktail table has leather strapping and handles and two drawers lined with custom passport design.

The lion’s head console has a dark Emperador marble top and a tapered base in an aged metal finish.

This chest has a gloss piano black finish and custom silver hardware. The octagonal mirror has penshell inlay.

THOMASVILLE, N.C. — Lexington Home Brands will undertake what it says is the biggest product introduction in its 77-year history at the April High Point Market with a new brand called Henry Link Trading Co.

The brand will include 180-plus SKUs of bedroom, dining room, accent furniture and upholstery, all within the range of existing Lexington price points.

While the forms of the Henry Link items will be traditional in nature, they'll offer eclectic designs the company says will create excitement in the marketplace and will attract a wide audience, including designers.

The collection also aims to reflect the way consumers are buying furniture today, which is more as individual pieces versus entire suites, said Phil Haney, Lexington president and CEO.

In development for 18 months, the collection also aims to capture the excitement of global travel. The Henry Link Trading Co. logo, a giraffe walking through tall grass, sets the stage for this theme.

The pieces, to be sourced in the Philippines, expand on the global theme with a mix of materials that includes bamboo, rattan, embossed leather, hair over hide, penshell and marble. Finishes also tend to reflect the exotic, with colors such as gloss piano black, rubbed mahogany and gold and silver leaf.

"Over the last several years, sophisticated consumers have become increasingly more eclectic in their tastes, placing greater value on items that feature innovative design and exotic materials," Haney said in a statement. "They are often furnishing their homes with a few pieces at a time rather than all at once, looking for standout pieces that make a personal statement rather than matched suites.

"There is an aspirational element to the trend as well. Henry Link Trading Co. is designed to address the needs of that consumer. While many of them find that time constraints limit their ability to travel the world, they still aspire to invest in signature pieces that showcase the taste and savvy of someone who does."

It was not immediately clear how many pieces will be bedroom or dining room versus upholstery. However, the SKU count could reach close to 200 thanks to the availability of various finishes on certain items.

While Henry Link Trading Co. will be a freestanding collection, Haney said the hand-crafted nature of pieces also will tie in well with Lexington's existing collections.

"While Lexington continues to enjoy great success in designing innovative branded lifestyle collections, there remains a great opportunity to leverage our expertise in design and global sourcing," he added. "This product will showcase exceptional hand-craftsmanship, with styling that is considerably more up to date than product currently in the marketplace. Henry Link Trading Co. will make an impactful boutique presentation, while blending beautifully with our existing lifestyle collections."

The name is a nod to one of the company's founders, Henry Link. Link helped create the Dixie Furniture Co., a forerunner of Lexington, in 1936 and went on to form the Henry Link Corp. in 1964, which designed casual wicker home furnishings. He was inducted to the American Furniture Hall of Fame in 1998.

While the new branded line aims to reflect Link's passion for travel and product design, it won't include wicker furniture.

Some pieces will be shown in Lexington's storefront showroom space in downtown High Point. The complete line will be on display in its main showroom complex at 1300 National Highway in Thomasville, N.C.

The company said that pieces will be displayed in a shop-within-a-store format and also will be integrated within the company's existing lifestyle collections.

The brand, which is scheduled to ship in September, also will have a dedicated website at www.henrylink.com and will be stocked in the company's North Carolina warehouse for immediate delivery.

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