Top Stories

• City of Hope plans Spirit of Life Award banquet, West Coast tournament
  
  Furniture Today Staff, February 8, 2012
  HIGH POINT — Plans are set to honor industry leaders Jeff Seaman and Bob Sherman with the City of Hope's Spirit of Life Award in April, and to salute members of the Levitz family at the organization's 21st Annual West Coast Golf & Tennis Tournament in June.
  
• Toronto Summer Furniture Show to open Aug. 11
  
  Michael J. Knell, February 8, 2012
  MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — This year's Toronto Summer Furniture Show will be held from Saturday to Tuesday, Aug. 11-14, the Canadian Home Furnishings Alliance has announced.
  
• IMC honors Mike Snider with Robert H. Spilman award for excellence
  
  Furniture Today Staff, February 8, 2012
    HIGH POINT — Mike Snider became the third recipient of International Market Centers' annual Robert H. Spilman Spirit of Excellence Award in a presentation here Dec. 15, according to IMC.
  
• Havertys' new ad campaign plays up customers' finer qualities
  
  Clint Engel, February 8, 2012
    ATLANTA — Havertys is launching a new advertising campaign this week that plays up its customers and their intelligence and personality as much as it does the retailer's furniture.
  
• Hooker Furniture reorganizes case goods merchandising efforts
  
  Thomas Russell, February 7, 2012
    MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Case goods and upholstery resource Hooker Furniture has reorganized its case goods division into teams with responsibilities for various products, the company announced Tuesday.
  
• Ashley Furniture, Marlon Brando estate resolve name dispute
  
  Gary Evans, February 7, 2012
  LOS ANGELES — Ashley Furniture and the estate of Marlon Brando have resolved a dispute over the use of the Brando name on a collection of Ashley's upholstery.
  
• Belfort Furniture, Lawrance Furniture are NHFA Retailers of Year
  
  Clint Engel, February 7, 2012
  HIGH POINT — Belfort Furniture in Dulles, Va., and Lawrance Furniture in San Diego are the National Home Furnishings Assn.'s Retailers of the Year for 2012.
  
• Furniture, mattress sales boost Conn's sales 37.6% in recent quarter
  
  Furniture Today Staff, February 7, 2012
  BEAUMONT, Texas — Furniture and mattresses were the fastest growing category for Conn's in the latest quarter, with sales up 37.6% to $27.7 million, the Beaumont-based specialty retailer reported.
  
• UPDATE: Jim Sherbert steps down as CEO of Bush Inds.
  
  Thomas Russell, February 7, 2012
    JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Jim Sherbert has stepped down as CEO of ready-to-assemble furniture specialist Bush Inds. and will retire this spring, the company announced.
  
• Leggett & Platt sales grow 6.5%, but charge sends 4Q profit down
  
  Larry Thomas, February 7, 2012
  CARTHAGE, Mo. — Components supplier Leggett & Platt said fourth-quarter sales rose 6.5%, but profits were down due to a restructuring charge.
  
• Paramount Sleep signs Cannon as licensee for 4 western states
  
  Furniture Today Staff, February 7, 2012
  NORFOLK, Va. — Paramount Sleep said it has licensed Fresno, Calif. bedding manufacturer Cannon Sleep Products to manufacture and distribute its products in California, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona.
  
• Furniture designer, American Leather shareholder Rob Jones dies at 54
  
  Larry Thomas, February 7, 2012
    DALLAS — Robert "Rob" Jones, a veteran furniture designer and shareholder in upper-end producer American Leather, died Feb. 1 following a long battle with cancer.
  
• Mitchell Group names Lisa Goolsby director of materials, services
  
  Furniture Today Staff, February 7, 2012
  CHICAGO — Lisa Goolsby, formerly customer service manager at textile source and converter The Mitchell Group, has been promoted to director of materials and services, a new position.
  
• Jim Sherbert steps down as CEO of Bush Inds.
  
  Thomas Russell, February 6, 2012
  JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Jim Sherbert has stepped down as CEO of ready-to-assemble furniture specialist Bush Inds. and will retire this spring, the company announced.
  
• Bob's Discount Furniture and several employees help ailing girl
  
  Furniture Today Staff, February 6, 2012
  NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Touched by a 4-year-old girl's battle with cancer that already had claimed both of her eyes, Bob's Discount Furniture and several employees of its Orange, Conn., store gave the girl a set of bedroom furniture that her family could not afford.
  
• GoodWeave certifies 3 more rug importers as child-labor-free
  
  Alex Lemonde-Gray, February 6, 2012
  WASHINGTON — GoodWeave, an organization working to end child labor in the hand-made rug industry, announced that three more U.S. rug companies have joined its certification program, committing to a child-labor-free supply chain.
  
• Art Van Furniture's new drive pays tribute to Eleanor Josaitis
  
  Furniture Today Staff, February 6, 2012
  WARREN, Mich. — Art Van Furniture is partnering with Focus: Hope in a community service drive to provide families, seniors and schools with food, new and gently used books and art supplies.
  
• Specialty retailer LoveSac introduces new store design
  
  Gary Evans, February 6, 2012
    THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Alternative upholstery manufacturer and retailer LoveSac has opened a store at The Woodlands Mall here that introduces a transformative new store design created by the global creative consultancy Pompei A.D.
  
• Flexsteel residential furniture sales rise 5.4% in quarter
  
  Gary Evans, February 3, 2012
  DUBUQUE, Iowa — Flexsteel Inds. said it closed its second quarter ending Dec. 31 with an increase in residential furniture sales of 5.4% over the previous quarter, indicating an increased demand for household furniture.
  
• Leggett & Platt offers four new platform beds
  
  Thomas Russell, February 3, 2012
    LAS VEGAS — Leggett & Platt's Consumer Products Group is introducing four new platform bed models at this week's Las Vegas Market as part of an effort to grow its business among traditional furniture stores.