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October 4,
2010 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on October 5, 2010
Hooker Furniture (NASDAQ-GS: HOFT) has tapped Sandi Teague for the new position of director of merchandising-Hooker Upholstery.
Teague is responsible for fabric selection for Hooker Upholstery companies Sam Moore and Bradington-Young, along with product design, photography, cataloging, showroom display and promotions.
Teague's leadership in the new position will "encourage collaboration and cohesiveness between Bradington-Young and Sam Moore and between the upholstery companies and Hooker Furniture case goods," said Mike Delgatti, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Hooker Upholstery. "Her appointment is additional progress towards developing synergy among all the Hooker companies and underscores Hooker's commitment to growing our upholstery business."
Delgatti noted Teague helped develop the Hooker Upholstery fabric sofa program that will debut at the October market, and will be involved in any future initiatives in fabric upholstery, adding that Teague brings both creativity and market savvy to Hooker Upholstery.
"Sandi has a great taste level and sense of fashion, but also a keen understanding of what sells and is able to strike a great balance," Delgatti said.
Teague has 16 years experience in various merchandising positions in the furniture industry, at companies including LADD, Morgan Stewart, King Hickory and Fine Furniture. She has been involved on a consulting basis with Sam Moore and Bradington-Young since January of this year.
October 4,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on October 5, 2010
Samson Marketing, the U.S. operations arm of case goods vendors Universal Furniture and Legacy Classic, is consolidating warehousing in High Point.
Samson is closing its California warehouse and should complete the consolidation of all U.S. warehousing and distribution into its 347,000-square-foot High Point facility in January.
"The Piedmont Triad's strategic location, competitive environment and deep roots with furniture and other products for homes, hotels and offices makes it a world-class center for the furnishings business," said Kevin O'Connor, president and CEO of Samson Marketing. "Our domestic distribution facility, together with our warehouse in Asia, gives us the most effective service model in the furniture import business and sets us apart from our competitors in the segment."
O'Connor says he made the decision for two reasons: "First, we want to have our executives and management team on the ground here and accessible to all the furniture we ship. Second, the Piedmont Triad offers us the best transportation rates because of all of the carriers located in the region, even to our West Coast customers."
In addition to its core business serving Top 100 retailers and other furniture and department stores, Samson is in the process of expanding its reach in the hospitality furniture segment. The company set up a new division this year to target the hotel trade.
"If you're ordering furniture for 1,000 hotel rooms, we can produce what you need and hold it until it's ready to be installed," O'Connor said, adding that the company has a vast amount of warehouse space in China where product can be stored prior to shipment. "That's a huge plus for any hotel chain, since deadlines for completion of projects are always changing."
October 4,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on October 5, 2010
Next Generation-NOW, a group of future furniture industry leaders, will host a launch party during High Point Furniture Market.
The High Point Launch Party, Saturday, Oct. 16, 6-7 p.m. in the Coaster showroom at 111 E. Commerce Av., will feature networking, complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
The group's first event during the August Las Vegas Furniture Market drew more than 75 future industry leaders.
Coaster, a platinum sponsor of Western Home Furnishings Association, is excited to be involved with this up-and-coming group.
"I believe this is an excellent opportunity for us to show our support for young executives in the industry," said Larry Furiani, Coaster's vice president of dealer relations. "Having been an active member of the YFA for more that 10 years, I know the importance of providing a useful forum for young people who aspire to mature in our industry."
The goal of the Next Generation-Now is to provide professional development, networking and hosted forums and give voice to the unique needs of young furniture professionals. Andy Bernstein, group said,
"The Next Generation-Now group is a great addition to the industrythey are our future customers, are innovative and way cool," said Andy Bernstein, owner of FurnitureDealer.net, a major sponsor of Next Generation-NOW. "We really need to engage the younger generations and excite them in order to keep them coming into our industry. Next Generation-Now is a great way for them to express themselves, learn from others and excite them about the home furnishings industry. I am very excited to be a part of this group and to help move us into the future."
RSVP for the Next Generation-Now event by calling Cindi Williams at 916.748.7677 or visiting the group's Facebook page.
Major sponsor for is FurnitureDealer.net is major sponsor for Next Generation-Now. Contributing sponsors include aspenhome, Associated Volume Buyers, Coaster Company of America, Emerald Home Furnishings, LaCrosse, Lane Home Furnishings, Pacific Furniture Dealers and Western Home Furnishings Association.
October 4,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Green on October 5, 2010
Three chair designs have emerged as finalists in Cargill's BiOH Polyols' Project UDesign chair design competition.
The first round of voting drew almost 2,000 online votes from consumers. Three Savannah College of Art and Design students are advancing to the last round of online voting for Project UDesign, through 11:59 p.m. EST, Oct. 19. The finalists--Ryland Quillen, Emily Carpenter and Matt Gray--are a step closer to their goal of having their design become the next eco-friendly wing chair made with sustainable materials for its cushioning and other components.
The three designs and related video footage are displayed on Cargill's Experience BiOH blog and YouTube channel.
The three finalists will showcase their original wing chair designs at the Oct. 16-21 High Point Furniture Market this month in Century Furniture's showroom, Market Square 500, where Marketgoers can vote online for their favorite design. A special Industry-wide 'Tweetup' is set for Monday, Oct. 18, 5-7 p.m., where the public and event attendees can interact on Twitter with the finalists.
The winner of the competition will be announced in the Century Courtyard, during the WithIt Student Mentoring Day Kickoff, 9 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 20.
The competition is the first in the furniture industry to "crowdsource" a design that consumers can eventually buy. Century Furniture has pledged to put the winning design into production in early 2011. The company will pay the winner a royalty for each unit of the winning chair design it sells, and the winner will receive a $1,000 award from Cargill's BiOH® polyols business.
"We are thrilled for the finalists, and we are particularly encouraged to see the great interest consumers have shown in the Project UDesign competition," said Yusuf Wazirzada, Cargill's BiOH polyols business unit leader. "It aligns with the overall consumer trend of wanting to see more sustainable products in the marketplace."
October 4,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in economic news on October 5, 2010
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?z3240114536&z=1000247453
Las Vegas was as sure a bet for furniture stores as any business three years ago. But when the area housing bubble burst, local furniture sellers lost not just profits, but hope.
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