Four Hands Ups Ante with IMC

January 24, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Markets on January 25, 2012

Lifestyle home furnishings vendor Four Hands is teaming with International Market Centers to increase its presence at furniture markets in High Point and Las Vegas.

In High Point, Austin, Texas-based Four Hands will move to a new 36,000-square-foot showroom on the fourth level of Showplace, serving as an anchor for the centrally located IMC property. That represents a 64 percent increase from Four Hands' prior High Point showroom in Union Square. The new showroom will open for the April 21-26 High Point Furniture Market.

In Las Vegas, Four Hands will more than double its presence at the Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center to dominate the south end of Building A. The Las Vegas showroom, which will open before the July 30-Aug. 3 Summer 2012 Las Vegas Furniture Market(http://www.lasvegasmarket.com), jumps from 8,800 to nearly 20,000 square feet.

Four Hands President and CEO Matthew Briggs said the company is making a bold move in both markets to reinforce Four Hands' leadership position in the furniture industry. Established 17 years ago, Four Hands hundreds of large and small retailers around the globe and dominates a growing niche of contemporary and accessible design. 
 
"Although we are a relatively young company by High Point standards, we remain on the forefront of thoughtful, smart design," said Briggs. "Our growing footprint requires us to expand our presence in both key markets--Las Vegas and High Point--and IMC is the ideal partner to facilitate our evolution."
 
Briggs added that the expansions ensure Four Hands will capture the attention of buyers who must make the most of their limited time at shorter markets.

"Convenience is still key for buyers of both large and small retailers, so it's important that we adapt to the times and make it as easy as possible for buyers, designers and consumers to experience our collections," said Briggs. "We are confident larger and more conveniently located showrooms will contribute to our future growth."

According to Bob Maricich, chief executive officer of IMC, the creation of IMC fosters enhanced cooperation between the markets in both cities. It ensures a unified approach that creates a value-added platform for the industry and exhibitors and allows for greater cross-promotion. 
 
"Four Hands is the ideal example of a progressive brand that is taking advantage of the new synergy created by the recent IMC merger of Las Vegas and High Point," Maricich said. "Four Hands' expansion in both markets not only ensures the company's leadership position, it is helping to bridge the company's business on both coasts. We are delighted to count Four Hands as one of our signature brands that is helping to lead the modern living design revolution."
 
In Las Vegas, Four Hands is located within Las Vegas Design Center, a 42-showroom facility on the World Market Center Las Vegas campus that is open to the public as well as the trade. According to Randy Wells, vice president of Las Vegas Design Center, Four Hands' energy is contagious. 
 
"Four Hands played a major role in LVDC's progression as the region's most comprehensive resource for home furnishings," said Wells. "Four Hands is one of the Design Center€™s founding fathers, and true to form, the company continues to raise the bar for leadership in our industry. In the past year, LVDC opened a record 11 new showrooms, and Four Hands is easily one of the most popular showrooms with both consumers and designers alike."