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Furniture|Today > Archives > 05/28/2007 Issue
Table of Contents
Furniture|Today -- 05/28/2007

Bedding Today
  • Constant changes reflect our dynamic industry
    As the bedding industry celebrates Memorial Day, the traditional kickoff of the important summer sales season, it's a good time to take stock of where we are, what's happening, and what it all means. In many of our conversations with industry leaders, we're told the industry is in the midst of major changes.

Editor's Desk
  • F/T again named media power player
    I'll be the first to acknowledge that knowing you're doing the best you can is a reward in itself. But it doesn't hurt to have others recognize your efforts. That said, I'm proud to report that Furniture/Today again has been recognized by BtoB magazine as one of America's Top 50 Media Power Players. This is the fifth time BtoB has seen fit to bestow this honor on our publication.

Industry Numbers
  • Natuzzi 1Q sales fall
    Santeramo In Colle, Italy— Leather upholstery powerhouse Natuzzi said first-quarter sales tumbled 18.3%, and it recorded a net loss of 4.7 million euros, or $6.2 million, as business proved soft in all major markets, with the United States particularly weak. CEO Ernesto Greco described U.S. business as "depressed, mainly due to the low consumer confidence and the sharp decline in the hous...
  • Chromcraft Revington posts 1Q loss as sales drop 26.3%
    West Lafeyette, Ind.— Manufacturer and importer Chromcraft Revington reported a first quarter net loss of $1.2 million on a 26.3% decline in sales. "The sales decrease reflects a soft retail market climate and continued competitive pressures from imports, as well as the impact of a major change to our sales structure," said Chairman and CEO Ben Anderson-Ray in a statement.
  • FBI pays $781K fee to modify debt agreements
    St. Louis— Furniture Brands International paid a $781,000 fee to modify debt agreements on its $400 million revolving credit facility and $150 million in senior notes, the company said in a regulatory filing. The manufacturer, importer and retailer said it also agreed to an amendment of the covenants attached to its credit line for March 31 through June 29, including a new debt-to-earning...
  • Tempur-Pedic hikes quarterly dividend
    Lexington, Ky.— Tempur-Pedic International's board has raised its quarterly stock dividend by 33% to 8 cents per share from 6 cents. The visco-elastic foam mattress and pillow producer and retailer said the new dividend for the second quarter is payable June 14 to shareholders of record on May 31.

News
  • CFMA to host imports panel May 30
    City of Industry, Calif.— The California Furniture Manufacturers Assn. will host a luncheon and panel here May 30 on how imports are affecting U.S. furniture manufacturers and the global furniture industry. Joe Carroll, publisher of Furniture/To-day, will moderate a panel featuring Romeo Dilla Jr.
  • Huck Finn's has 4th big in-store Capel Rug gallery
    Albany, N.Y.— Huck Finn's Warehouse & More here has opened an 8,500-square-foot Capel Rug gallery in its 400,000-square-foot home furnishings complex. Store President Jeff Sperber worked closely with Capel executives for three months to create the store-within-a-store, which opened in late March.
  • More foreign buyers at Shenzhen show
    Shenzhen, China— The 20th Shenzhen International Furniture Exhibition saw a drop in overall attendance but a big increase in international buyers during its March 19–22 run. According to figures from show organizers, the market drew a total of 67,138 buyers from 105 countries, down 15% from the 79,186 reported last March.
  • ABC unveils Gee's Bend rugs
    New York— ABC Carpet & Home here has introduced a limited-edition collection of hand-knotted rugs based on the works of the Gee's Bend Quilt Collective in Gee's Bend, Ala. ABC unveiled the Gee's Bend Rug Collection at a reception here hosted by Jerome Weinrib, owner and chairman, and Graham Head, vice chairman.
  • Furniture First group adds nine members
    Harrisburg, Pa.— Buying group Furniture First's board approved nine members/stockholders last month. They are Michael Moss of Bear's Furniture, Franklin, Pa; Craig Reis of Best Furniture, Fort Thomas, Ky.; David Capperella of Capperella Furniture, Bellefonte, Pa.; Michael Davidson of Davidson's Furniture, Hornell, N.
  • Latitude Tree opens third Vietnam factory
    Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam— Malaysian-owned case goods producer Latitude Tree has opened a third factory in Vietnam that it hopes will allow it to increase revenues by more than a third this year to about $75 million, up from $55 million in 2006. The nearly 2 million-square-foot factory, which The Star newspaper in Malaysia said was an $8 million investment, is in Ben Cat, about 28 miles f...
  • Davis gets new post at WMC
    Las Vegas— The World Market Center here has hired Georgia Davis, formerly executive vice president of the Dallas Market Center, as head of new business development, a new position. She reports to Harvey Dondero, CEO. She has worked in the industry for 21 years, and will use her experience and relationships to create and expand business initiatives and partnerships for the WMC.
  • ASID-Illinois accepting contest entries
    Chicago— The American Society of Interior Designers — Illinois Chapter is accepting entries for its 2007 Design Excellence Awards, an annual competition open to members of the ASID chapter or the International Interior Design Assn. Illinois, and registered interior designers in Illinois. July 13 is the deadline to submit entries in any of a number of residential, contract and produc...
  • Designers in limelight at Copenhagen market
    Copenhagen, Denmark— While furniture shows in many parts of the world focus on celebrity-licensed collections and container orders, it was designers and their meticulous creations that grabbed the spotlight at the recent Copenhagen International Furniture Fair. From well-known designers such as Hans Wegner and N.
  • Meuble Paris combined show set for Jan. 24–28
    Paris— Two home furnishings trade shows here are combining into a new event called Meuble Paris, which will debut in January 2008. Operators of the Maison & Objet and Planete Meuble Paris shows here said in a press release that they have acquired rival event Salon du Meuble (the Paris Furniture Show).
  • Apparel designer Mizrahi creates fabric line for S. Harris
    New York— Flamboyant apparel designer Isaac Mizrahi always wanted to create a decorative fabric collection for the home. And now he has, a luxury line of 44 patterns and 119 SKUs for S. Harris. "The project has been such a dream for me after all these years of amassing ideas," said Mizrahi. "I've now been let loose in creating and it's deeply gratifying.
  • Kathwari receives Americans by Choice Award
    Washington— Ethan Allen Chairman, President and CEO Farooq Kathwari was among four naturalized Americans honored by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in a ceremony earlier this year. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice introduced Kathwari during the presentation of the Americans by Choice Awards.
  • IFDA honors preservation group head
    Atlanta— The International Furnishings and Design Assn. honored Bobbie Greene McCarthy, director of Save America's Treasures at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as an Industry Trailblazer during its recent conference and industry forum. Save America's Treasures is a public-private partnership established in 1998 to address U.
  • Legacy Classic opens big H.P. warehouse, office
    High Point— Case goods importer Legacy Classic Furniture has opened its new distribution center and warehouse here. Located at Premier Drive and N.C. 68, the 347,000-square-foot facility has a two-story, 40,000 square-foot corporate office for Legacy and its sister company, Samson Marketing. The balance of the space is for its warehouse and distribution center.
  • Sleep Country USA launches online store
    Seattle— Northwest bedding specialty retailer Sleep Country USA has launched an online store on its Web site at www.sleepcountry.com. Nine models of Sealy Posture Premier, Simmons Beautyrest and Sealy Posturepedic mattress sets are available online in sizes from twin to king and several degrees of comfort, including firm, plush and pillowtop.
  • ASFD salutes student designers
    High Point— The American Society of Furniture Designers presented its 2007 David Kline Memorial Scholarships during its spring High Point Market dinner. Hardware supplier Hafele America co-sponsored the contest. Design students across the country were asked to design a piece of furniture using Hafele's honeycomb connector.
  • AICO promotes Phillips to VP, Herrera to manager
    Pico Rivera, Calif.— Case goods and upholstery resource AICO has promoted Laurie Phillips to vice president of soft line merchandising, a new position. The company also has promoted Nelly Herrera to customer service manager. Phillips has been director of upholstery merchandising for two years, helping launch the company's upholstery division.
  • Furniture Classics promotes M. Ricks
    Norfolk, Va.— Furniture Classics, a European and Asian reproduction accent furniture specialist, has named Michael Ricks president. He had been the company's vice president and general counsel, and reports to his father, R. Douglas Ricks, a former president and company founder, who is now CEO. Michael Ricks joined the company in 2002.
  • Furniture Brands CFO Ramos resigns
    St. Louis— Denise Ramos is leaving manufacturer and importer Furniture Brands International as senior vice president and chief financial officer to become CFO of ITT Corp. She has been at Furniture Brands since February 2005 and will assume her new position on July 1 at ITT, a White Plains, N.Y.
  • L&P hires Frohriep
    Carthage, Mo.— Leggett & Platt is adding an ergonomics expert to its research and development team. Ergonomics specialist Susanne Frohriep comes from the automotive industry in Europe, where she spent the past three years working on development and ergonomic research of comfort products. "Ergonomics plays a pivotal role in giving consumers the comfort that enables restful sleep, which...
  • Bombay 1Q sales down 11.8%; loss trimmed a bit
    Fort Worth, Texas— The Bombay Company, which has been struggling financially for months, said first-quarter sales of $104.6 million were down 11.8% from last year's first quarter, with same-store sales off 10.2%. The specialty retailer reported a net loss in the quarter of $15.4 million, or 42 cents per share.
  • Park Place to acquire United Sleep, run Pa. plant
    Greenville, S.c.— Bedding producer Park Place, based here, said it has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire Pennsylvania-based United Sleep Products, which closed its two factories earlier this month. Park Place President Jimmy Orders said Park Place intends to operate United Sleep's Denver, Pa.
  • York named editor in chief of Home Accents Today
    High Point— Jenny Heinzen York has been promoted to editor in chief of Home Accents Today, a sister publication of Furniture/Today. She was the magazine's managing editor. "Jenny has done an outstanding job as managing editor of this magazine, so this is a natural progression for her," said Becky Boswell Smith, current editor in chief, who is retiring at the end of May.
  • Magnussen realigns sales territories, promotes three
    High Point— Magnussen Home Furnishings has restructured its sales management team and has promoted three executives to newly created positions. Magnussen is reorganizing its sales territories to better focus on retailer needs and to enable sales management to spend more time with accounts, said Don Essenberg, executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
  • Ainsworth rejoins L&P in new post
    Carthage, Mo.— Ron Ainsworth has rejoined components supplier and metal bed resource Leggett & Platt as senior vice president of procurement, a new position. He also will have responsibility for some national accounts. Ainsworth had been with Leggett & Platt for 13 years, most recently as president of its Los Angeles-based Fashion Bed Group, part of L&P's Consumer Products Group.
  • 4 teams win JCPenney awards
    Plano, Texas— Four teams in furniture and furniture-related activities won 2007 Chairman's Awards for outstanding performance at national department store JCPenney. In the Home Division, Steve Dinkins, buyer, and the sleep center team were winners. In JCPenney Direct, the hard home team led by Van Rice won the award.
  • Robert Allen execs get new responsibilities
    New York— Jennie Wilde has been promoted to the new position of vice president, product design and merchandising for fabric source The Robert Allen Group. Andy Pacuk, senior vice president of the group, had headed these endeavors, as well as heading the Robert Allen/Beacon Hill showroom group, which continues to report to him.
  • Quaker set to sell plant in Fall River
    Fall River, Mass.— Quaker Fabric announced it has entered into a purchase and sale agreement with M/K Brayton LLC for its 186,000-square-foot Plant N here for $4.3 million. After a 90-day inspection period, the deal is expected to close by Sept. 5. The fabric supplier's restructuring plan calls for the sale of all company-owned real property not needed to support operations, including its...
  • Cancer claims Flexsteel's Lauritsen
    Dubuque, Iowa— K. Bruce Lauritsen, longtime leader of upholstery manufacturer and furniture importer Flexsteel Inds., has died after a two-and-a-half-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 64. Lauritsen joined Flexsteel in 1968 as a sales representative and spent nearly four decades at the company in various sales and management positions, including national sales manager and chief op...
  • Rose store closes for good
    High Point— Former Top 100 store Rose Furniture here, which said it was going out of business last fall and then came up with a plan to stay open, has closed for good. According to the Web site of Rose's creditors committee, efforts to restructure outside of bankruptcy court proceedings have failed.
  • Akzo Nobel to buy Chemcraft
    Amsterdam, Netherlands— Akzo Nobel said it has agreed to buy wood coatings maker Chemcraft International, boosting Akzo's status as one of the world's biggest suppliers of finishes. Akzo Nobel said Chemcraft is the largest privately owned manufacturer of industrial wood coatings in North America, with 2006 revenues of $145 million and customers such as casual dining specialist Canadel.

Opinion Today
  • Stop whining! Here's how you can change things
    The International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City is my once-a-year shot at the world of the super high end. I see what's on the cutting edge and look for designs, colors and materials that can be adapted to the world of regular people. The thing that struck home for me this year, however, had nothing to do with fashion.
  • Interco to FBI: Getting kicked around ... again
    In February 1996, I wrote a short story about a new name in our industry: Furniture Brands International. The company had been called Interco, a holdover from its original name of International Shoe Co. Interco had sold Florsheim, Converse and other footwear since its founding in St. Louis in 1911. It began acquiring furniture manufacturers in 1980, eventually shucking the shoe business.

People Today
  • People Today
    Executives Diamond Furniture Philadelphia — Retailer Diamond Furniture, with stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, has promoted Beverley Gatti to vice president of administration and Gary Randazzo to vice president of business technology. They report to Gary Diamond, owner and CEO. Gatti joined the company in 1997 as an office manager at a store, and most recently was in a dire...
  • Elite Leather honors 3 sales reps
    Chino, Calif.— Elite Leather has recognized three top sales executives in conjunction with its fourth annual sales awards program. The winners, cited for excellence in sales, customer service or territory growth, are:

Special Report
  • WHFA Conference
    Whalin: Differentiate your store or disappear
    Indian Wells, Calif.— Separating your store from the pack is the way to succeed these days, according to author and consultant George Whalin. "If you don't differentiate, you're going to bumble along and disappear in a couple of years. And it doesn't matter if you have one or a thousand stores," said the author of "Retail Success" and president and CEO of Retail Management Consultants in ...
  • WHFA Conference
    Need good help? Try stealing them
    Indian Wells, Calif.— How do you help your employees go from good to great? How do you get employees in the first place? The second question seemed more important to a group of retailers taking part in one of several roundtable discussions at the Western Home Furnishings Assn.'s Convention and Trade Show here.
  • WHFA Conference
    Wold: Clever tag lines can be worth millions
    Indian Wells, Calif.— Million-dollar marketing may not cost that much, but can have at least that much impact if it's clever enough, perhaps with tag lines like "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," or "Malaysia, truly Asia." "But the tag line has to match up with the business; otherwise it wouldn't work," said Barbara Wold, a consultant in retail and sales management.
  • Motion Trends
    Motion's stylish profile
    Greensboro, N.C.— As motion frames step outside the traditional design box, much of the current crop of reclining sofas can easily be mistaken for stationary frames — at least at first glance. Motion sofas — as well as reclining chairs — that combine the function of motion with the styling of stationary are generating a lot of interest with consumers of a certain taste l...
  • Showtime Preview
    Beach Party set for June 4 at 6 p.m.
    High Point— Showtime's first-ever Summer Beach Party is set for 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday evening, June 4, in Market Square Courtyard, during the semiannual Showtime fabric show. The event — a highlight of the semiannual Showtime fabric show, which runs June 3–6 — will feature cocktails and beach music.
  • Showtime Preview
    Showtime green
    Made of recycled plastic bottles, Cone Jacquards' new recycled fabrics for residential applications have been finished with a softer hand than is usually found in textiles made from post-consumer polyester. The company is launching the line at Showtime, with patterns including these for furniture manufacturers at about $8.
  • Showtime Preview
    American Century gets larger space
    High Point— Fabric supplier American Century Home Fabrics is moving to a larger space in the Market Square Textile Tower in time for the Showtime fabric show here, June 3–6. The company will be in a space once occupied by Joan Fabrics and Mastercraft that is about 3,800 square feet, some 40% larger than its former showroom, according to Walt Goldsby, vice president of leasing for Me...
  • Showtime Preview
    Weave aims to ride redecorating wave
    High Point— Weave Corp. is capitalizing on a growing interest in redecorating with its new upscale fabrics, including pure silks and high-performance covers, all of which will be showcased at Summer Showtime here. "We continue to focus on innovation in color and design," said Roger Berkley, president.
  • Showtime Preview
    Circa/Doblin goes organic
    Connelly Springs, N.C.— Circa 1801/Doblin will introduce Simply Natural, a collection of 25 jacquard fabrics made from certified 100% organic cotton, at the June Showtime market in High Point. The entire manufacturing process is environmentally friendly, as are the dyestuffs and finishes, said President John Lenox, adding, "We need to treat this world better.
  • Showtime Preview
    Ultrafabrics adds 22 colors to performance line
    Elmsford, N.Y.— Upholstery fabric supplier Ultrafabrics has added 22 colors to its Ultraleather collection of performance polyurethanes for furniture. Louise Russell, design consultant, said the additions are "fresh, synergistic" colors inspired by modern lifestyles and meant to complement trends in furniture design.
  • Showtime Preview
    Chris Stone is eco-friendly
    High Point— Chris Stone is launching a collection of six solid-color fabrics in a variety of eco-friendly fibers, dyes and finishes. The line, called Eco Collective, will debut at Showtime here next week and will be spotlighted in the company's market showroom windows. The green fabrics are a response to customer demands, said Andrea Bernstein, Chris Stone's executive director of marketin...
  • Retail Technology
    Backup help is available
    Spokane, Wash.— All that data about consumers' buying habits and anything else related to the business can now be backed up on WebLink Backup, a new service begun this month by retail technology specialist Genesis Software Systems. "It's not a question of if a computer system will fail," said Gary Sauther, president.
  • Retail Technology
    Using software to understand consumers consumers
    High Point— Ever mindful that if their retail customers don't make a profit then they don't either, retail technology providers have been building in new software features to capture more information about consumers and making such data more readily available to salespeople. After all, if you can keep up with consumers' home furnishings likes, dislikes, future plans and decorating wishes,...
  • Showtime Preview
    Showtime gears up
    High Point— The International Textile Market Assn. will present the 34th semiannual Showtime fabric market for the home furnishings industry here from noon Sunday, June 3, through 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 6. ITMA members will have signs in their showrooms identifying themselves. "Look for the ITMA Showtime logo," said John Kearns, president of ITMA.
  • ICFF
    Busy ICFF show goes green
    New York— Black and white provided the backdrop for case goods and upholstery at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair here last week, with orange and green as the accent colors. Green was in vogue both from a design and symbolic perspective as the eco-friendly movement was pervasive throughout the show, across all product categories from furniture to textiles to accessories.

Store Openings
  • Broyhill installs galleries in Pennsylvania, Missouri
    Lenoir, N.C.— Full-line furniture maker and importer Broyhill Furniture, based here, has installed galleries in stores in Pennsylvania and Missouri. Slate Quarry Furniture, a family-owned and operated store in Delta, Pa., has opened a 5,000-square-foot Broyhill Gallery in its 22,000-square-foot unit.
  • Main Street Sofabed adds N.J. unit
    Paramus, N.J.— Main Street Sofabed Co. has opened a store here on Route 17 South. The 7,000-square-foot store offers over 30 styles of sofa-sleepers, motion sofas and sectionals, along with more than 1,000 fabrics plus leather to choose from. The 50-year-old family-run business also has a store in Hackensack, N.
  • Badcock has N.C. store
    Garner, N.C.— Southeast Top 100 chain W.S. Badcock has opened its first store in North Carolina's Triangle area of Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill with a 20,000-square-foot Badcock Home Furniture & more store here on South Park Drive. The opening is part of the chain's push into North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia and other Southern states.

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