Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
April 29,
2010 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Markets on April 30, 2010
David Savula has been named to he newly created position of executive vice president in charge of AmericasMart Atlanta home and gift leasing for all permanent showroom facilities in Buildings One, Two and Two West Wing.
Savula had served seven years as senior vice president in charge of AmericasMart's home showroom leasing
"Dave's passion for our business and our brand, together with an unfailing commitment to serving customer needs large and small, shines through in all that he does," said AmericasMart Atlanta President and CEO Jeffrey Portman Sr. "His charge both recognizes the growing complementary role of home and gift in our marketplace, and positions us to enhance seamless synergy between Buildings One, Two and Two West Wing. This new position sets the stage for a broader AMC strategic initiative to be unveiled in the coming months."
AmericasMart Buildings One, Two and Two West Wing enclose more than 4 million square feet of the aggregate 7 million-square-foot AmericasMart Atlanta campus. They collectively house more than 1,000 permanent home furnishings and gift showrooms.
April 28,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on April 29, 2010
Greg Brinks has been named vice president and treasurer for furniture supplier La-Z-Boy Inc. (NYSE: LZB).
Brinks reports to Mike Riccio, senior vice president and chief financial officer, and he succeeds Michael Skrzypcazk, who left the company in February.
In his new post, Brinks is responsible for all treasury functions, including cash management, credit and collections, and banking relationships. He is also responsible for directing the company's risk management and insurance programs and works with Riccio in negotiating and structuring financing transactions and agreements.
"We are delighted Greg has joined our team," Riccio said. "He will be a strong addition, bringing with him solid treasury expertise spanning various disciplines, including financial modeling and analysis, currency and interest rate derivatives, cash flow management and forecasting, working capital management and credit. Additionally, he has a wealth of experience in the international capital markets, which will serve the company well as it expands its presence overseas."
Prior to joining La-Z-Boy, Brinks was executive director, international securitization for GMAC where he'd also held the positions of director, financial planning and analysis; director, Latin American Treasury Center; director, Latin American operations; and director, European Treasury Center in Brussels, Belgium.
La-Z-Boy's upholstery companies are: Bauhaus, England and La-Z-Boy. The company's case goods brands are: American Drew/Lea, Hammary and Kincaid. The company also has a network of retail stores that includes 308 stand-alone La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries and 502 independent Comfort Studios.
April 28,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on April 29, 2010
Indian wood supplier
Aishni Home Furnishings has increased its production capacity by 125,000 square feet in Jaipur.
The additional space will increase the company's capacity by at least 80 containers, and provide the company with more kilns, fumigation facilities and new machinery.
"This will assure our largest customers' continued flow of merchandise and quality levels they expect from Aishni," said Pravin Srivastava, chief executive officer. "We can no take the product from tree to finished product."
In addition to the increased production space, the company is expanding its North American distribution effort with a new factory and warehouse in El Monte, Calif. Aishni shows at the
High Point Market and is currently looking for a space at the
Las Vegas Market.
"We have a sales force of approximately 25 reps, most of whom have prior experience with product from India, a distinct advantage in aiding buyers in merchandising knowledge of India furnishings sales," Srivastava said. "The Aishni sales team will also be a vital link in the sales floor training of our retail partners' sales reps."
April 28,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on April 29, 2010
Living room and family room furniture major La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB), Warren, Mich., recently celebrated the opening of its 500th Comfort Studio home furnishings location with retail partner Roanoke, Va.-based
Grand Home Furnishings store in Beckley, W.Va."The Comfort Studio format is an invaluable part of our sales mix, and we have focused on growing the network to allow even more customers to access the full variety and comfort of La-Z-Boy furniture," said Greg White, senior vice president of sales and merchandising for La-Z-Boy. "The 500th studio represents a major milestone for the Comfort Studio format and La-Z-Boy, and were happy to celebrate it with our partner, Grand Home Furnishings."
Every La-Z-Boy Comfort Studio features between 3,000 and 9,000 square feet of retail space dedicated to the broad selection of La-Z-Boy furniture for the family room and living room, including the companys world famous recliners, motion sofas, sleep sofas, sectionals and leather upholstery. Retailers across the United States and Canada customize the program according to their retail spaces, consumer demand and cost of entry.
Located at 1256 N. Eisenhower Dr., in Beckley, the new Grand Home Furnishings store features a 5,000-square-foot La-Z-Boy Comfort Studio dedicated to La-Z-Boy furniture. La-Z-Boy and Grand Home Furnishings have been partners for decades, and this opening is the 13th Comfort Studio to open within a Grand Home Furnishings store.
"We're proud to celebrate this milestone accomplishment with La-Z-Boy, and we look forward to celebrating more milestones and sales together in the future," said George B. Cartledge Jr., chief executive officer of Grand Home Furnishings. "Our customers recognize and appreciate the reputation and value of La-Z-Boy furniture, and the inclusion of the Comfort Studio at our newest location expresses our commitment to offer the best selection of comfortable, quality furnishings available."
April 28,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Green on April 29, 2010
Turning House Millworks, which supplies reclaimed lumber to Turning House Furniture, has received a Triad Green Award for its role in the careful deconstruction of two tobacco storage warehouses at an R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. complex in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The Landis, North Carolina, millworks salvaged every piece and type of material that it could from the warehouses, which date to the 1920s and 1930s, including 230,000 linear feet of wood for its sister company, Turning House Furniture in Bassett, Va. The millworks reclaimed and renewed the vintage, Southern longleaf pine for its rebirth as fine furniture through the sister company.
The two companies Chairman and CEO, Spencer Wood Morten III (also chairman and CEO of Bassett Mirror Company), was one of three joint recipients of the award for resource recovery made by the Triad Business Journal during ceremonies on Earth Day in High Point. The other two recipients were R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and D.H. Griffin Wrecking Company Inc.
Together, the three entities saw to the reclamation of wood from a total of a dozen warehouses that was the equivalent of 1,400 trees or 92 acres of full-growth forest. Once upon a time, demolition materials ended up in landfills. In this case, aluminum siding and tin roofs were salvaged for reuse; Even the buildings foundations were recycled after being razed. R.J. Reynolds has re-contoured and reseeded the cleared land.
The timbers reclaimed by Turning House, which came from trees that dated to the 1800s, have character that comes only with age and from the nail and worm holes, along with mineral streaks, that tell the tale of the wood. The millworks specializes in salvaging such hard-to-get, first-growth timber Southern longleaf pine, which once covered the South and was highly prized for its tensile strength.
"Turning House is more than a business that just sells wood and furniture," Morten said. "We help communities revitalize by removing old industrial buildings, recycling materials that used to end up in landfills. In the process, we are able to re-purpose the wood as fine furniture, offering consumers an alternative to furniture built from fresh-cut timber."