Furniture Today - January 26, 2004

Much like Italy's Pelle Highway — the well-traveled route linking the port city of Bari to the outlying leather meccas of Altamura and Matera — a number of venerable leather furniture makers are clustered off Interstate 40 in the North Carolina foothills near Hickory. Call it the Hickory Highway.

• News
• WMC signs Ashley, WHFA
• DiPersia will fill president's post at ASFD
• Bay honored as Retailer of Year
• Carini era starts at SFM
• Scott leaving Restonic
• WMC takes on new investor
• Haimsohn, Fendrich to receive Gold Pass awards in San Francisco
• San Francisco Market Introductions
• Arizona reps rejoin IHFRA
• AICO acquires multimedia design firm Graphic Visions
• Bomb blast spurs diversification at Four Hands
• GERS forms alliances with HighJump, SymphonyRPM
• Flexsteel expanding Asian galleries
• NRF sees furniture among strong '04 performers
• Furnishings, online sales look good for top retailers
• Z-Tex hopes to turn scents into dollars
• Glen Raven shows newest Frinier Sunbrella additions
• Sunbrella launches chenille yarn
• ATMI: 2003 second-worst for U.S. textiles in 50 years
• Karel poised for '04 after strong Long Beach show
• Greensboro woodworking event on tap
• May logistics conference set
• WithIt will focus on education efforts
• Ethan Allen set to launch 'solutions' marketing drive
• Thomasville adding licensed line of lighting
• High Point may cover, widen Commerce Ave.
• Some hotels cut rates
• Chinese plants eager to open books to U.S.
• Ikea plans Dallas-area store
• Broyhill promotes two, hires Iasiello
• Drexel closing 2 plants
• Thompson joins Natuzzi
• Obituaries
• Obituaries

• Opinion Today
• TV ads may not reach many of your consumers
• First markets of 2004 point to a strong year
• The new global realities in textiles

• Bedding Today
• Fire-safety question draws a variety of old answers

• Business Today
• Ethan Allen sales up 5%
• Kathwari: Little impact from antidumping effort
• Select Comfort reports 49% 4Q sales jump
• Foamex restates 2003 earnings
• Financial results

• Special Report
• Old ways just fine for this father/daughter
• Classic Leather looks to innovate, broaden offerings
• Bradington-Young pursuing value with offshore partners
• Old Hickory reflects energy of its founder
• Hickory Highway companies in brief
• Leathercraft grows by taking high road
• Market Report
• Contemporary sets the mood

• People Today
• Two get promotions at Diamond chain
• JRM Sales hires five
• People on the Move
• People on the Move

• Store Openings
• Braden's installs Custom Shoppe
• La-Z-Boy adds two galleries

• Up Front
• Best Chairs changing name
• Heimtextil order-writing rated positive
• Dorel will close Carina factory but retain brands
• Calif. FR mattress regs to go on books Feb. 22

• Supplement
• Bedding Today
• On the flammability front
• Serta educates consumers about FR lines
• Elk takes FR savvy into bedding arena
• Mattresses endure trials by fire
• Tech center spawns ideas
• Safety drives DuPont
• Consumers want safer products
• The team driving DuPont's FR effort
• Kevlar — stronger than steel and bullet-resistant
• Key FR issues on the horizon
• Freudenberg customizing FR materials
• Vita develops FR portfolio
• Bedding Benchmarks
• Devan markets Eco-flam
• Bedding newsmaker
• Executives share views on 2004 prospects
• SoHo Today
• 4 names, 7 stores, 1 strategy for growth
• Orman Grubb retools to compete
• Martin looks to capitalize on Ireland brand alliance
• Office Environments capitalizes with Web site
• Hon acquires Paoli from KFI; no major changes planned
• Leda enters new categories, takes on new name
• Furniture mfrs. find success at CES with entertainment pieces
• IDC: Semiconductor sales to grow