Archive for June, 2010
June 30th, 2010 at 07:00am
Under Furniture News
Mega Group USA will be holding their 27th annual Fall Convention in Louisville, Ky. from August 22 until the 26th. The convention will be in the Marriott located in downtown Louisville which is centrally located for most of the groups members. It’s estimated that hundreds of dealers from all areas of the home furnishings industry will be attending.
Mega Group has 1,500 retail members that have 2,500 stores located throughout the United States. The members sell furniture, applicances, electronics, mattresses and lawn and garden products. In addition to some personal appearances by Negen and Dean, there will be breakout meetings, coaching sessions, product displays and a buying show.
For more information you can visit Mega Group USA.
By MCC
June 29th, 2010 at 07:00am
Under Furniture News
Ashley Furniture HomeStore operators will be closing two stores in North Carolina beginning next month. However, they do have plans to reopen one store in a better location and the other store with a new format. The company’s lease on a 35,000 square foot showroom located in Durham, N.C. is expiring and they are considering alternative locations in Raleigh-Durham.
“We’re reviewing some other opportunities within the Raleigh area and if the right location becomes available for the right price we would certainly consider other locations,” Hodge said. “We want to capitalize on the TV and newspaper media we are currently using as much as possible.”
Liquidation sales for both stores will begin in mid July and will run for around 90 days. The company hasn’t predicted how much revenue will be brought in from the sales. Although the timing hasn’t been set, Ashley is looking at buildings that are around the same size, or smaller than the current stores.
By MCC
June 28th, 2010 at 11:14pm
Under Furniture News
Sealy, the major bedding manufacturer reports that its sales rose 6.1 percent for the fiscal second quarter that ended on May 30. The company saw a net income of $849,000 compared to a $5.4 million loss for the same period a year ago. U.S. sales were up to $229.1 million, a increase of 3 percent and unit sales rose 2.2 percent.
The company’s international sales in Canada, more efficient promotions and improved demand led to an increase of 15 percent. Even with the substantial increases, Sealy officials said that because the quarter ended on the 30th, the impact of Memorial Day sales weren’t included. Although they declinded to estimate how much of an effect the holiday would have had on their sales.
“Our Stearns & Foster line continues to perform extremely well and take market share in the premium bedding category,” said Larry Rogers, president and CEO. “Our focus on developing and bringing new and innovative products to market continued, as we began rolling out the Sealy Promotional line and prepare to roll out the Embody specialty bedding line over the remainder of the year.”
By MCC
June 27th, 2010 at 07:00am
Under Furniture News
The Toronto Summer Furniture Show will be hosting around 30 exhibitors from the furnishings and furniture industry. The show will be in and around the International Centre and will be held from August 8 through the 10th. The show is organized by the Canadian Home Furnishings Alliance. And, will include a CHFA annual Gold Classic that will be held during the Monday, August 9 show.
There will be several exhibitors that are appearing for the first time along with regulars that include A.P. Inds., Buhler Furniture, El Ran Furniture, Artage International and Sunset Lamp. There are several companies that have permanent showroom rooms including Brentwood Classics, Edgewood Furniture, Kingsdown Sleep Systems and Campio Furniture.
You can find more information on this years show at the Canadian Home Furnishings Alliance website.
By MCC
June 25th, 2010 at 07:00am
Under Furniture News
President Bush signed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August of 2008. The new law granted the Consumer Product Safety Commission some additional powers and the funding to police products that were unsafe. The law was developed due to consumer responses to the widespread recalls of products for children.
Although the legislation was touted as a “toy bill”, it virtually effects any product that is used by children. This includes furniture and presents manufacturers of childrens furniture with three main obstacles. You can read the complete story at Furniture Today.
By MCC
June 24th, 2010 at 07:00am
Under Furniture News
E.S. Kluft and Company, maker and distributor of Aireloom and Kluft mattress brands, has expanded their operations by 25 percent. The expansion in space was added to the company’s Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. operations to accommodate growth. Kluft’s leased a 30,000 square foot warehouse that is located across the street from it’s existing facility.
The new space is being used to manufacture and upholster mattress foundations including their signature eight way hand tied box springs. “Our current plant reached capacity,” said Earl Kluft, CEO of E.S. Kluft & Co. “With the addition of a separate foundation factory, we are able to work more efficiently. My company is growing at an impressive rate and I took the new facility to keep pace with the burgeoning demand for our products.”
E.S. Kluft also added a second shift and hired some additional employees in anticipation of the company’s increased sales. “We are readying ourselves for double digit growth,” Kluft said. “These changes ensure that we will have the tools in place to make us successful.”
By MCC
June 23rd, 2010 at 07:00am
Under Furniture News
Simply Amish recently celebrated the opening of their 9th licensed store with a grand opening in Salt Lake, Utah. The new store is owned and operated by Jim Williams. Simply Amish has been selling its extensive line of solid wood furniture to hundreds of retailers for over 30 years.
“This economy has hit the furniture business hard,” Simply Amish cofounder Kevin Kauffman said. “But that’s when companies like us have an advantage. We continue to do the things that have given us a sought-after product for several generations: supplying the best quality of furniture available and providing the best possible service to our customers.”
As soon as consumers enter a Simply Amish store they can tell right away that it’s no ordinary store. Customers are greeted with delicious fresh Amish cookies and the children have a play area to keep them busy while the parents shop. Every piece of furniture has also been signed by the Amish craftsman in a discrete area.
“When people go in our stores, they are always amazed at the quality and style of our furniture and how many choices they have,” Kauffman said. “That’s because everything is made by hand, can be customized, and is held to a standard that impresses the most discerning of customers, even the Amish.”
Simply Amish furniture is made by Amish craftsmen that work on over 50 family farms throughout the heartland of the United States. Many of these family owned shops on have four or five craftsman, while other employ as many as 30 workers. If you’d like more information on Simply Amish you can visit their website at SimplyAmish.com.
By MCC
June 22nd, 2010 at 07:00am
Under Furniture News
Ashley Furniture HomeStore recently announced the introduction of the company’s new line of mattresses, Ashley Sleep. Ashley is one of the top U.S. furniture retailers and manufactures the largest furniture brand in America. The company says that its Advanced Memory Foam and Talalay Latex mattresses feature the very latest in sleep technologies.
These two sleep surfaces offer the ultimate in comfort, durability, support and provide minimal motion transfer. Consumers can also purchase the Ashley Sleep Support System, a foundation that provides a strong support for the mattress that is also a quality piece of home furniture.
Ben Thorud, Senior Vice President, noted that, “Our goal is to be the value provider in specialty sleep. Many consumers want to enjoy the sleep experience and health benefits of Memory Foam and Talalay Latex mattresses, but have been unable to based on the expense of other brands. With the Ashley Sleep mattress line, we are able to provide high quality, specialty sleep products, created with the best materials in the market today… all at a very affordable price!”
By MCC
June 21st, 2010 at 07:00am
Under Furniture News
In an effort to obtain longer terms for its debt, Thornwood Furniture Mfg. filed for Chapter 11 this month. Although, the wood furniture manufacturer says that the company is financially stable. Craig Thorn who owns the majority of the company says they hope to be able to emerge from bankruptcy within three to six months.
The company still employees 250 in manufacturing which is in keeping with the lean staffing they employ for the summer months. It’s also continuing to work at developing new products and delivering goods. Marshall and Isley is the company’s largest lender, Thornwood’s still owes them around $12 million which include almost $7 million that was payable in March.
Thorn stated that the company filled Chaper 11 to have the chance to restructure the debt and get longer terms. He said that the value of the company is over two times what is owed to Marshall and Isley. “I frankly think that operating companies that have more than twice the value of their debt are relatively prudent today in the market,” Thorn said.
By MCC
June 20th, 2010 at 07:00am
Under Furniture News
Cory Home Delivery which serves appliance, electronics and furniture retailers just opened a distribution center in Melville, N.Y. The facility features almost 79,000 square feet and is along Route 110 in Long Island. The location provides easy access to several of the major highways.
The company also announced that it has expanded its operations with Rooms To Go in Texas and El Dorado Furniture in Miami. The company also added Thomasville Furniture’s Connecticut stores and Stickley Furniture’s New York stores to ist list of clients.
“We are pleased to be in this favorable position in these challenging economic times,” said Cory. “Recent economic events and their impact on the industry are among the most momentous of our 75-plus years in business. Delivering product right the first time, every time, (and) utilizing smart business strategies are integral to adding new clients that fit our growth model.”
By MCC
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