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Furniture|Today > Archives > 04/17/2006 Issue
Table of Contents
Furniture|Today -- 04/17/2006

Bedding Today
  • HP offers opportunity to dance with new partners
    Given the critical mass of bedding majors in Las Vegas, does the upcoming High Point market have anything to offer in the mattress arena? The answer is a definite "yes." I'm looking forward to the April market for a couple of reasons. In general, I'm eager to see what new steps High Point will take to improve the market experience.

Editor's Desk
  • Smashing boulders, building brands
    I've come to the conclusion that successful companies have at least three things in common: They constantly improve, they continually find new ways to better understand the needs of their customers and they never think good enough is remotely good enough. Texas-based Four Hands, a successful importer of case goods led by Brett Hatton, is one of those companies.

Industry Numbers
  • Sealy 1Q sales rise 10.2%
    Archdale, N.C.— Bedding major Sealy said sales rose 10.2% in its first quarter ended Feb. 26 as net income jumped 11.2%. Worldwide sales totaled $395.7 million in the quarter, compared with $359 million in last year's first quarter. Net income came to $24.3 million, compared with $21.9 million a year earlier.
  • Rowe reports $3.4M loss in 1Q
    McLean, Va.— The Rowe Companies reported a $3.4 million net loss in its first quarter ended Feb. 26, and said it has eliminated about 200 jobs as it continues cutting costs in its manufacturing operations. Chairman and President Gerald Birnbach said he has cut his own salary in half starting April 1.
  • Quad-C withdraws bid to buy CFC International
    Chicago Heights, Ill.— Specialty coatings supplier CFC International has terminated a buyout agreement that would have taken the company private. CFC said the $75 million deal was ended after a financial backer of Quad-C Management, a private equity firm that was to acquire the company's stock, backed out of the arrangement.
  • Amisco 1Q earnings fall 73.8% as sales decline
    L'Islet, Quebec— Metal furniture manufacturer Amisco Inds. said its first-quarter earnings declined 73.8% from a year earlier as sales fell 11.9%. The company said it earned C$103,067 in the quarter ended Feb. 25 on sales of C$8.9 million. Sales in Canada decreased 15.6% to C$2.7 million, which the company attributed to a decline in orders from a few large customers.
  • Jennifer posts 31.7% gain in sales, plus rare 2Q profit
    Woodbury, N.Y.— Jennifer Convertibles said it continued its financial turnaround with earnings of $554,000, or 7 cents per share, in its second quarter ended Feb. 25. It's the fourth consecutive profitable quarter for the specialty retail chain, which had posted a loss of $5.4 million, or 93 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.
  • Natuzzi revises 2005 earnings
    Santeramo in Colle, Italy— Natuzzi has issued revised financial statements that reduce its loss in 2005's fourth quarter and year by 2.1 million euros, or about $2.6 million. The company said its board made the adjustment after learning from authorities in Brazil that Natuzzi would benefit from a corporate tax reduction in that country, where it operates a subsidiary, Italsofa Bahia.
  • O'Sullivan emerges from Ch. 11
    Roswell, Ga.— Ready-to-assemble furniture producer O'Sullivan Inds. has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with a new financing package and a new board of directors. The company said it closed on a $50 million revolving credit agreement and immediately drew out $27.3 million. That money will be used to repay its debtor-in-possession loans, pay expenses related to the bankruptcy...

News
  • Former Levitz execs sued
    New York— A former bondholder of Levitz Home Furnishings Inc. is suing the retailer's former executives and its accountant, charging they committed fraud by pumping up a troubled Levitz during a 2004 bond offering when the company actually was "on the verge of implosion." Bay Harbour Management LLC, which held $19 million of $130 million in bonds Levitz had issued, claimed in that at the ...
  • Luana Living coming to life
    San Diego, Calif.— Luana Living, the new company created by Luana Davis to debut at next week's High Point market, will bring a fresh approach to "mixed media" upholstery in leather and fabric, with diverse textures, bold color and sophisticated comfort. Davis, who has worked in merchandising and product development for LeatherTrend, Natuzzi and Bauhaus USA, says the company specializes i...
  • Furniture mortgage idea to be tested
    Fort Lauderdale, FLA.— City Furniture is nearing the testing stage for its proposal to finance home furnishings purchases through home mortgages. Within 90 days, the Top 100 company expects to have such a program in place through at least one mortgage lender that it wouldn't identify. In addition, next month it expects to furnish model homes through its new Academy of Design division and ...
  • IHFMA fine-tunes online HP market planner
    High Point— Buyers might have an easier time navigating their way through showroom buildings and scheduling visits with exhibitors here, after upgrades on the International Home Furnishings Market Authority's Web site. "The online market planner feature was introduced last market and the subsequent feedback gave us the opportunity to fine-tune its functions and add to its value," said Don...
  • Oak Hollow Mall to offer marketgoers discount card
    High Point— The International Home Furnishings Market Authority has teamed with Oak Hollow Mall and other local organizations to offer a discount shopping card for people attending the spring and fall furniture markets. The card, dubbed the Market to Mall Discount Card, will offer discounts of up to 50% at participating mall merchants.
  • I.DoT to showcase Italian pieces at Vegas market
    Las Vegas— A display at the July market here will show the latest designs in furniture, lighting and decorative accessories from Italy. The World Market Center and the Italian Design Agency will bring the I.DoT — for Italian Design on Tour — exhibit to the Las Vegas Convention Center, featuring about 100 contemporary pieces.
  • Lexington opens SF Mart space to service design trade
    San Francisco— Lexington Home Brands has returned to serve the design trade here with an independently owned and operated showroom on the first floor of the San Francisco Mart. Nancy Rye is managing the 4,800-square-foot, gallery-style showroom in space 117, which is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the year.
  • Sigla HP showroom sustains $250,000 in water damage
    High Point— Because of a faulty water pipe, occasional and dining room furniture manufacturer Sigla Furniture likely will have a reduced presence at the April market. Its showroom at 112 S. Elm St. sustained about $250,000 in damage from a burst water heater pipe during the last week in March. The water soaked the showroom carpet and damaged walls of the 5,000-square-foot showroom.
  • Phoenix Trim gets Sunbrella license
    Williamsport, Pa.— Upholstery trim supplier Phoenix Trim Works has been licensed to produce a line of high-performance decorative trimmings under the Sunbrella brand name. The company's initial offering of cords, fringe, braids, bullion, tiebacks and tassels will complement Sunbrella performance fabrics created by home furnishings designer Joe Ruggiero.
  • IHFRA issues new silver lapel pins
    High Point— Members of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Assn. will be sporting new lapel pins for the High Point furniture market. The silver pins, recently mailed to all IHFRA members, reflect the association's updated branding image. They replace the gold pins the group has used for a decade.
  • Glabman, Himes form Westlake USA
    High Point— Jack Glabman and Tom Himes, industry veterans who are partners in international sales company Glabman-Himes, have formed Westlake USA, a new upholstery fabric company that will debut at the April market here. The 10-member Glabman-Himes national sales force will sell the Westlake line.
  • Brazilian producers gear up for High Point market
    High Point— A number of furniture makers from Brazil will exhibit at the April market here, showing U.S. retailers a selection of high-end contemporary furniture available for export. The exhibitors are part of ABIMAD, the three-year-old Brazilian High-End Furniture Manufacturers Assn., which represents 200 factories.
  • ABIMAD sets 2 IHFC spaces
    High Point— Brazilian manufacturers of wood, upholstery, leather and home accents will show at this month's market here at two locations in the International Home Furnishings Center, in the Interhall, H-165, and in space W/G-867, as part of the ABIMAD export effort. The companies include Formanova and Arte Nova (case goods), Estafados Jardim, Century, Modulaque, Niroflex (leather and upho...
  • Couristan, Haima building giant China rug plant
    Shanghai, China— Couristan and Haima Group Corp. have formed Couristan/China, a joint venture that is building one of the largest woven carpet and rug manufacturing facilities in the world. The alliance was announced here last month at the Domotex Asia/China Floor Coverings market by Wang Zhaoqi, president and general manager of Haima Group, and by Couristan Chairman George Couri and CEO ...
  • Waldrup gets Excelsior Designs sales post
    North Amityville, N.Y.— Upholstery veteran Mickey Waldrup has been named to the new position of national sales manager at contemporary furniture manufacturer Excelsior Designs here. Waldrup reports to Paul Greenbaum, vice president of sales and marketing. He will be responsible for managing key national accounts as well as developing new retail accounts.
  • Sealy car grabs 10th place in 1st Champ race
    Long Beach, Calif.— Sealy's sponsorship of a Champ Car got off to a fast start here this month when Alan Sciuto drove the Sealy car to a Top 10 finish in the first race of the season. The mattress maker scored a one-two punch when furniture retailer Dan Selznick, a Sealy dealer, also competed in and finished the race, held at the street course here on the weekend of the Toyota Grand Prix ...
  • RoomStore owner is on a Really fast track
    Long Beach, Calif.— Dan Selznick, who runs a furniture store in his quiet moments, spent an unusually hectic hour in his Champ Car here earlier this month. Selznick, owner of The RoomStore in Phoenix, drives his RoomStore-sponsored racecar in various events around the country. He was in the field here for the first Atlantic Series race of the year, taking his place in a star-studded lineu...
  • Bateson exits Maitland
    High Point— Seamus Bateson has resigned as president and CEO of importer Maitland-Smith to join contract furniture supplier Commercial Furniture Group. Bateson finishes up at Maitland-Smith on April 21, just before the High Point market. Then he begins the following Monday as president, CEO and board chairman of Commercial Furniture Group, parent of the Shelby Williams, Falcon, Howe, Thon...
  • Big acts to sing at market
    High Point— Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Bruce Hornsby headlines a four-night lineup of free entertainment offered at next week's market here. Hornsby, who has sold more than 10 million records since his platinum debut album in 1986, will perform April 27 in a tented pavilion in front of Showplace.
  • Hike for Hope this Sunday
    High Point— Ashley Furniture Inds. and Furniture/Today are inviting attendees of next week's market to support the City of Hope by donating an hour — and some cash — to take part in the Hike for Hope. The walk is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, April 23, on Commerce Avenue in front of the International Home Furnishings Center.
  • Phillips gets Palliser sales post
    Winnipeg, Manitoba— John Phillips has joined Palliser Furniture as executive vice president of sales for its upholstery division. Phillips was executive vice president of sales at Natuzzi Americas before resigning last month. At Palliser, he is responsible for sales of upholstery products, and also works with the merchandising and product development teams.
  • Broyhill names 2 to new positions
    Lenoir, N.C.— Broyhill Furniture has hired two executives in newly created positions, one in sales and one in product development. Rebecca Smith has been named specialty accounts manager, handling specialty markets and alternate distribution with products specifically developed for those markets.
  • JLA Fabrics adds exec, sets larger office
    Greensboro, N.C.— Chinese upholstery fabric supplier JLA Home Fabrics has added an executive position and will quintuple its U.S. office space in a move to a new location in the coming weeks. Jackie Boylan has joined the company as senior business planner, a new position. Her responsibilities include planning, forecasting and ensuring that customers get their orders as needed.
  • Transit hub honors market chief
    High Point— Judy Mendenhall may be retiring as president of High Point's Market Authority, but her name will remain part of the local landscape. The High Point City Council has voted to name the furniture market's transportation terminal Mendenhall Station in her honor. The terminal, which covers a one-block section of Commerce Avenue between Hamilton and Wrenn streets, was developed larg...
  • Belak named OWA's VP of sales
    Dalton, Ga.— Sam Belak has been named vice president of sales for the Oriental Weavers of America rug brand. He will be responsible for the management and development of the North American importer/manufacturer's sales in the home center, mass merchant and national store channels. He reports to Mike Riley, president of Oriental Weavers USA.
  • Oriental Weavers-Sphinx hires 2
    Dalton, Ga.— Rug resource Oriental Weavers-Sphinx has named Tom Monaghan national accounts director and David Matamoros as Southeast regional manager. Monaghan began his floor coverings career in 1983 with Masland. For the past 12 years, he has worked at Karastan in such posts as regional rug specialist, regional rug account manager and national accounts manager.
  • Dormia taps Hirschhorn for senior sales post
    Jessup, Md.— Bedding veteran Alan Hirschhorn has been named senior vice president of sales at Dormia. He will be responsible for expanding national dealer distribution of the Dormia mattress line. He succeeds Jim Knapick, who left the company. Hirschhorn joins the company from Tempur-Pedic, where he was regional sales manager for the metropolitan New York market for seven years.
  • O'Neills join importer Acme
    Norcross, Ga.— Former Southern Textiles executives Bob and Rob O'Neill have joined Acme Furniture, an importer of leather upholstery, dining room and bedroom furniture, in newly created management posts. Bob O'Neill is vice president of the company and will be involved largely with new business development and product development.
  • Obituaries
    Orie Fritts, Tradespan Internat'l CEO
    Columbus, Ind.— Orie C. Fritts, a longtime furniture importer and sourcing agent, has died after a brief illness while traveling in China. He was 65. Fritts had more than 25 years of business experience in China and 40 years in the Pacific Rim. He most recently was president and CEO of Tradespan International, a furniture sourcing company he founded in the 1980s in Columbus.
  • HomElegance taps Collins as sales, marketing VP
    Hayward, Calif.— Case goods importer HomElegance has hired Jamie Collins as vice president of sales and marketing. Collins, who reports to President Hutch Chao, joined the company on April 10. He fills a position that had been vacant since the departure of Joe Elmore in October. Collins will work with HomElegance's network of 12 regional warehouses to help develop sales, marketing and pro...
  • Roussey gets new La-Z-Boy post
    Monroe, Mich.— La-Z-Boy Residential has promoted Kimberly Roussey to the newly created post of vice president of sales services. In her new role, Roussey, a 25-year La-Z-Boy veteran, will supervise a team of 70 people as the company integrates its support for consumers, sales representatives and dealers under a single department.
  • New Sears Canada president named
    Toronto— Restructuring expert Dene Rogers will become acting president of Sears Canada once Brent Hollister, the current president and CEO, leaves the post May 9. Financial industry and media observers across Canada believe the move comes as U.S. hedge-fund magnate and Sears Holding Chairman Edward Lampert tightens his grip on the multi-channel retailer before taking it private later this...

Opinion Today
  • Going or coming? Musings from the merry-go-round
    It's been nearly eight years since I made the leap across the Mason-Dixon line from New York-based sister publication Home Textiles Today to Greensboro-based Furniture/Today. At the time, I figured no big deal in making the switch from sheets and towels to tables and chairs. But the transition proved to be more challenging than a mere physical relocation.

People Today
  • People Today
    Executives CIT Corporate Finance New York — Finance provider CIT Group has hired Joseph F. Nemia as executive vice president and chief sales officer of its CIT Corporate Finance group. In the newly created position, Nemia will work with leaders of the Business Capital, Diversified Industries and Global Sponsor Finance divisions to improve performance and achieve growth.

Special Report
  • New at Market
    Leather
    All prices retail • In-depth stories on leather introductions will appear in Furniture/Today's opening-day issue American Leather Showplace-5th flr Aspenhome IHFC M-604 Bentley Churchill 200 N. Hamilton Bernhardt IHFC D-601 The new Loft by Bernhardt program features up-to-date lifestyle frames in both leather and fabric covers highlighting a clean, fresh design aesthetic.
  • Market Showrooms
    Market Showrooms
    Showplace Plaza Suites C&D Building IHFC Suites at Market Square Market Square 220 Elm
  • Mattress Retailing 101
    Bedding warranties: Mention or not?
    Today's topic: Bedding warranties pose both a challenge and an opportunity. Overview: Warranties are a topic of some controversy in the industry. Some say that they are the crutch of weak sales associates, while others note that consumers do want to know about bedding warranties. It is important to remember that warranties are not guarantees of useful product life, although that is how some con...
  • New at Market
    Occasional
    All prices retail • In-depth stories on occasional introductions will appear in Furniture/Today's opening-day issue A.A. Laun Furniture IHFC D-508 Strategy: Expansion of smaller "condo" tables in each of the three groups. Introducing an oval "conversation" cocktail table targeted for use with popular conversation sofas.
  • New at Market
    Home entertainment
    All prices retail AICO IHFC G-777 Two new collections, Oppulente and Matrix, include entertainment wall units. Oppulente features romantic European styling, while Matrix has a contemporary flair with an Arts and Crafts influence. Aspenhome IHFC M-604 Adding an entertainment armoire and expandable television cabinet to the popular Young Classics collection.
  • New at Market
    Casual dining
    All prices retail • In-depth stories on casual dining introductions will appear in Furniture/Today's opening-day issue Archatrive 108 S. Lindsay St., 3rd floor Pedestal dining table, top available in 42-inch and 60-inch diameters with an optional 18-inch leaf; top in painted wood, stained fir or antique boards; choose any of 35 hand-painted finishes.
  • New at Market
    Youth
    All prices retail • In-depth stories on youth introductions will appear in Furniture/Today's opening-day issue Broyhill Furniture Inds. IHFC C-600 Strategy: New comprehensive youth program, broader distribution, both within Broyhill galleries and youth departments/stores. Marketing programs: Monthly promotional programs and placement programs for 2006.
  • New at Market
    Upholstery
    All prices retail • In-depth stories on upholstery introductions will appear in Furniture/Today's opening-day issue ACME Brand Couch IHFC D-817 This Lazar subsidiary is introducing the Naomi sofa, loveseat, chair and ottoman in a premium selection of 400 designer covers, in slipcover or upholstered versions.
  • New at Market
    Case goods
    All prices retail • In-depth stories on case goods introductions will appear in Furniture/Today's opening-day issue Actona 220 Elm 216 Danish producer's introductions include fresh designs in case goods, occasional and upholstery. Aico IHFC G-777 and G-782 American Drew IHFC C-926 Via Delano is a 20-piece bedroom/dining room in contemporary Art Deco styling.

Store Openings
  • Broyhill debuts South Korea unit
    Seoul, South Korea— Home Living Furniture has opened a 10,000-square-foot Broyhill Home Furnishings Gallery here. The retailer got its start 15 years ago in the Los Angeles area, serving the Korean-American community in Southern California. The first Home Living Furniture store in Seoul opened a year ago in a 16,000-square-foot building.
  • Ala. store installs La-Z-Boy
    Selma, Ala.— Gray's Furniture has installed a La-Z-Boy gallery in its store on Broad Street here. Margaret Cogle and Kent Cogle co-own the 7,000-square-foot store. The 3,000-square-foot gallery features a broad selection of La-Z-Boy motion and stationary upholstery for the family room and living room.
  • USA Baby opens in San Juan
    San Juan, Puerto Rico— Specialty retailer USA Baby has opened its first store in Puerto Rico, two blocks east of Plaza Las Americas here in a strip mall between Cesar Gonzalez and Munoz Rivera Avenues. Sisters Darissa and Darinell Castellano own the 11,500-square-foot store, their first USA Baby franchise.
  • Louisville gets studiorowe gallery
    Louisville, Ky.— Cherry House here has installed a studiorowe gallery, custom upholstery maker Rowe Furniture's first gallery in the Louisville area. Cherry House has dedicated 3,000 square feet in its 30,000-square-foot store to the lifestyle gallery. The Rowe gallery offers 400 fabrics to choose from.

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