Daily News Archive
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May 17,
2010 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on May 18, 2010
The Environmental Investigations Agency has issued a report on logging in Peru.
The document resulted from a series of workshops in Lima, and the capital cities of Peru's three principal Amazonian regions, Ucayali, Loreto, and Madre de Dios. It brings together the perceptions and recommendations of Peruvian civil society regarding the advances made by the Peruvian government in strengthening the governance of the forest sector.
The report also exmanines Peruvian logging in the context of several significant policy developments at the international level: the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement; laws prohibiting trade in illegal forest products such as the U.S. Lacey Act); and new international tools for forest conservation, such as the rapidly evolving mechanism for Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.
Environmental Investigation Agency is an international campaigning organization committed to investigating and exposing environmental crime and campaigning to protect endangered species and the natural world.
May 17,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on May 18, 2010
Furniture retail promoter Planned Furniture Promotions Inc., Enfield, Conn, has launched completely redesigned business to business Web site for furniture retailers.
The new site, developed by The Lively Merchant, is interactive, easy to navigate, provides tools to help retailers analyze their business, and answers questions retailers might have about high impact sales promotions.
One tool lets users click on an icon to listen to 11 recordings of former clients of Planned Furniture Promotions offering details about their experience during and after their high-impact event. More recordings are in the works
"We caught most of these folks completely off guard," said PFP Senior Vice President Roy Hester. "We called and asked them to tell their story, in their own words, unrehearsed and from the heart."
An interactive Business Health Check helps retailers determine if they need Planned Furniture Promotions' services.
"There are a series of simple questions with check box answers," said Burt Homonoff, also senior vice president. "The questions allow a retailer to self-diagnose his or her operation, and it's all anonymous."
Planned Furniture Promotions also has added scanned copies of original letters of recommendation from prior clients.
"We have literally hundreds of letters and testimonials that we could have posted," said Tom Liddell, vice president of sales and marketing. "We chose a few that show a cross section of the many retailers that weve served."
The site has biographies of founders Gene Rosenberg and Paul Cohen partnered, and a question-and-answer section. A video section will be added in the near future.
PFP also is developing a separate secure portal that will generate detailed information to its clients. These live event tracking reports will be e-mailed or faxed to clients automatically to better allow them to monitor all aspects of the sale promotion events being conducted by Planned Furniture Promotions on their behalf.
May 17,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on May 18, 2010
Natura World is offering a treatment to its mattresses that will prevent bed bugs, dust mites and other allergens from contaminating the product.
Beginning June 1, the all of the company's products will be
treated with Natural Silver Technology to create an anti-bacterial barrier on the mattresses.
"While our latex mattresses are naturally resistant to microbes, some mattresses are natural breeding grounds for microbesand this is another level of protection our customers are telling us they want," said Ralph Rossdeutscher, president and CEO of Natura World. "Last year we introduced Natural Silver Technology in our NaturaProtect line of mattress protectors and pillowcases and adding it directly to mattress covers is another way to protect our customers from the health risks of microbes in the mattressnaturally.
Natural Silver Technology, an antimicrobial, natural silver-based solution, is used in medical dressings to speed healing. This colorless, odorless solution applied to the fabric is hypoallergenic, non-toxic and a helps prevent bacteria. Its also bacteriostatic, which means that not only does it eliminate microbes on contact, among them candida (yeast), e.coli, avian flu, listeria, salmonella, even the highly antibiotic resistant MRSA, it also inhibits future growth.
Since I founded Natura World Inc in 1994 with my father and wife, we have been focused on providing natural sleep solutions that improve health and well-being," Rossdeutscher said. "Wherever possible, we use what nature offers freelyand silver is the perfect blending of an age old solution with modern technology."
May 17,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Acquisition on May 18, 2010
Austin, Texas-based
Four Hands has acquired
Bluefish Home.
The acquisition marks Four Hands' second brand purchase in the last 90 days. The import company bought lighting company
Architects & Heroes in March.
Marietta, Ga.-based Bluefish announced during the April
High Point Market that
it was shuttering its operations. For 11 years, the company has been an international player, offering hand-finished furniture crafted by artisans in Honduras.
Four Hands will be moving forward with three of the existing Bluefish collectionsMetro, Copenhagen, and Primativa.
Bluefish Home is the fourth brand expansion for Four Hands since April 2009. In additional to Architects & Heroes, the company launched bina from renown eco-conscious designer Thomas Bina in October as well as the Boulevard brand of designer custom and in-stock upholstery in April 2009. Four Hands continues to offer its distinct brand of lifestyle home furnishings and is exclusive North American distributor of
Old Java and Esquire Home, a partnership with
Esquire magazine. We are excited about adding Bluefish and its key furniture collections to our growing family of brands under the Four Hands corporate umbrella," said Matthew Briggs, Four Hands president and CEO. "Rupal (Mamtami) has created a brand and quality of furniture that is well respected throughout our industry and with retailers. Bluefish fits into our strategic growth plan for 2010, and were pleased to welcome their customers to Four Hands."
Briggs said Four Hands will continue working with the Bluefish factory in Honduras to manufacture furniture. However, distribution will move from High Point to the Four Hands corporate headquarters in Austin. The Four Hands Bluefish brand will make its introduction at the
Atlanta market, July 14-21 and at t
he Las Vegas Market, Aug. 2-6.
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May 16,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on May 17, 2010
Billy Curtright has been named director of sales, furniture and specialty sleep for
Human Touch.
In his position, Curtright is responsible for expanding Human Touch's sales and dealer opportunities throughout the furniture and specialty sleep markets. He reports to Andrew Cohen, president of Human Touch.
"We are extremely excited to have Billy on our team," Cohen said. "The retail landscape in the furniture industry is rapidly changing, and thus retailers are constantly looking for new and exciting ways to present products on their sales floors. Therefore, in the weeks and months ahead, Billy's expertise in this ever-changing industry will help us to create new and effective approaches for selling and marketing our products in furniture and specialty sleep stores throughout the U.S."
Curtright has more 18 years of sales management and marketing experience in the furniture business, having served in previous positions, such as national sales manager for
Standard Furniture Co., president of Drakeford Furniture and most recently, account executive for
Ekornes.
A graduate of
the University of Alabama, Curtright has also worked with
RoomChoices and
Master Design Furniture during his career.
"This position is a perfect fit for me and my background," Curtright said. "Originall starting in case goods earlier in my career, both imported and domestic, my interest and passion has really migrated toward products focused on health, wellness, comfort and relaxation. The Human Touch product assortment covers all of that. I'm looking forward to working with the accounts and sales representatives throughout North America to help them grow their business in our specialized category."