March 15,
2010 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on March 16, 2010
Brashears Furniture, Berryville, Ark., led by Doug and Susan Brashears; and Stoney Creek Furniture, Stoney Creek, Ontario, led by Dennis Novosel, are National Home Furnishings Association's Retailers of the Year for 2010.
Brashears is the honoree in the category of annual sales of $10 million or less. Stoney Creek is the honoree with annual sales over $10 million.
NHFA's Retailer of the Year Awards are presented annually at the Spring High Point Market Furniture Industry Awards Gala. This year's Gala will be held on Monday, April 19, at 6:15 p.m. in the IHFC Ballroom, 11th Floor, Green Wing.
The recipients are selected for their outstanding contributions to the home furnishings industry, exemplary service to the community and personal business achievements. The award, signified by a crystal obelisk, is the highest honor the 90-year-old trade association can bestow upon a member.
Brashears Furniture is a third-generation, family-owned business that has been serving customers in the Ozarks since 1935. The main showroom is in Berryville with additional showrooms in Branson, Missouri and Springdale, Arkansas. Their motto is "Things are a little different here." Every effort is made to help customers feel at home and to enjoy their shopping experience.
In addition to membership in NHFA, Brashears' contributions to the home furnishings retail trade include membership in the Arkansas Homefurnishings Association and Home Furnishings Independents Association. Doug and his father, Vol, are both past presidents of the Arkansas Homefurnishings Association. Other memberships include Springfield Design Association and American Society of Interior Designers. Achievements and awards include Arkansas Dealer of the Year and Southwest Arkansas Dealer of the Year presented by the Arkansas Homefurnishings Association. Other honors include Business Leader of the Year and Business Beautification Award by Berryville Chamber of Commerce.
Doug and Susan Brashears and the entire Brashears family believe strongly in the communities in which they live and do business. Some of their support and participation include membership in chambers of commerce in their business areas, furnishings for home tours to benefit Susan G. Komen Foundation, monies from customers' used furniture auction to local charities for people in need, and donating several truck loads of furniture for ABC's Extreme Home Makeover at Camp Barnabas in Purdy, Mo.
Brashears has excelled in personal business achievements and company leadership. These innovations resulted in increased sales and profit performance.
Forty years ago Stoney Creek Furniture, led by Founder and President Dennis Novosel, was a small-town store. In 1927 Dennis' father, Ivan, had immigrated to Canada from Croatia and operated a moving business and a used furniture business. When Dennis graduated from high school, he already had his own delivery business and after a short time as a draughtsman at Otis Elevator he turned to his own business full-time. However, his father who had retired when Dennis finished high school, encouraged Dennis to open a store on property the father had kept in the Golden Horseshoe between Niagara Falls and Toronto, today Canadas wealthiest market.
Dennis borrowed $1,000 from his sister and brother in-law and opened a 5,000-square-foot store. Today, Stoney Creek Furniture is the largest furniture showroom in all of Canada. Stoney Creek Furniture's four key strategies which have resulted in its ever-expanding market share are service, selection, style and strategic marketing. Customer service is the number one priority.
Stoney Creek features more than 15,000 furnishings and accessories displayed in 350 decorated room settings, selections which include ultra urban, casual chic, graciously formal and big city "cool," free in-store design services, brand name designer collections, latest industry trends, and non-commissioned sales associates who are well-trained and experienced. In recognition of its value and importance to consumers, Stoney Creek received the Readers Choice Award in 2008, the Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce Award for Outstanding Business Achievement winner in 2006 and the Retailer of the Year by the Ontario Furniture Manufacturers Association in 2006.
In service to the home furnishings industry, Dennis helped found the Canadian Home Furnishings Association, now part of NHFA. He was president of NHFA in 2004, the first Canadian to serve as president, served as chairman of NHFA's executive committee in 2005, is on the board of the Retail Home Furnishings Foundation, the board of the Interior Design Society in the United States and the board of the American Furniture Hall of Fame.
Stoney Creek Furniture has supported charities and events for its 40-year history. Numerous corporate donations have gone to groups such as the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, sports teams, Bobs Hospice, Ronald McDonald House, Hamilton Food Share, Heart & Stroke Big Bike Fundraiser and Cure. At Christmas, 2007, Stoney Creek selected three schools and let the children there decorate Stoney Creek's Christmas trees. In return the company gave a donation to each of the school's library and playground funds. Novosel who is a world traveler for pleasure and business has also used his trips to help those overseas, especially with Men's Missions International: working on an orphanage and seminary in Haiti, a church in Mozambique, schools in Kenya, and programs in South Africa to help with unwanted babies.
"The reason I'm so involved with the furniture industry is because I just love it," Novosel said. "And I don't think it's too altruistic an idea that if we all get together and learn, change, and evolve, we'll make it."
March 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on March 14, 2010
Case goods and occasional vendor Riverside Furniture Corp., Fort Smith, Ark., has named Fred Henjes president of the company.
Henjes has a 21-year career with Riverside, where he served in various capacities including sales representative to, most recently, senior vice president sales and marketing.
Long time President and majority owner, Howard J. Spradlin, is stepping aside after46 years with Riverside to take a less active daily role in the management of the company. He will continue as chief executive officer.
"We are very proud of and excited about the management team that Fred has assembled to help grow our business," Spradlin said.
Recent promotions and appointments include Greg Adams, senior vice president operations and administration; Beth Brown,
vice president and CFO; Mike Charlton, senior vice president product development, merchandising and advertising; Glenn Felterman, senior vice president sales and product management; Bernie Holly, senior vice president supply chain and logistics; and Chad Silver, vice president national sales manager.
"This outstanding group of individuals has played key roles in helping Riverside transitionfrom its U.S. manufacturing base to sourcing most of the current merchandise line up from overseas," Spradlin said. "They all have served Riverside for a number of yearsand, in addition, some have experience in the home furnishings industry in both retail and manufacturing."
Riverside currently offers a wide array of mid-price point merchandise in entertainment, home office, occasional, bedroom and casual dining categories. Riverside has showrooms at the International Home Furnishings Center, Commerce Street Wing, Space C-302, in High Point; and the World Market Center, Building B, Space B-1175, in Las Vegas.
March 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on March 14, 2010
Williams-Sonoma Inc. will continue to close stores in large markets where it has multiple stores in search of increased brick-and-mortar profitability, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
"Our strategy for store closings is to optimize our cost per square foot," Chief Financial Officer Sharon McCollam said in the report. "The goal is not closing stores per se."
Leases will end at more than a quarter of the company's stores during the next three years for brands including Pottery Barn home furnishings stores and Williams-Sonoma kitchen stores, will be coming to an end; Williams-Sonoma will use that as an opportunity to re-negotiate leases, or to relocate or close stores. McCollum said the move should help return stores to historical profit levels.
That should help it return to historical levels of profitability for its retail stores, McCollam said.
March 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on March 14, 2010
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell announced on Friday the awarding of $300,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to the City of Galax to support the expansion of the VaughanBassett Furniture Co.
The project will provide for infrastructure improvements to relocate two blocks of South Railroad Avenue to support a 50,000-square-foot expansion of the Vaughan-Bassett's facility.
"I am pleased to see that business is growing and thriving in Galax," McDonnell said. "With the expansion of VaughanBassett Furniture Company by the funds provided through this block grant, 30 new jobs will be created in addition to the 631 jobs already in place. These block grant funds will provide for necessary infrastructure improvements and the installation of highspeed broadband connections necessary for the successful expansion of operations."
The CDBG is a federallyfunded grant administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development since 1982. Virginia receives up to $19 million annually for this "small cities" CDBG program.
March 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on March 14, 2010
Casegoods manufacturer TerraSur will begin offering its top-selling Forza, Fortaleza and Viento collections with Forest Stewardship Council-certified hardwoods after the April 2010 High Point Market.
"Our factory in Argentina is FSC-certified," said Jessica D. Holmstrom, president and founder of TerraSur, "so it's natural for us to take this significant step toward more sustainable manufacturing."
From the start, TerraSur and its Argentine manufacturing partners vowed never to buy wood from old growth forests, rainforests or dubious sources. All their wood purchases are from suppliers with managed forests and/or plantations.
"We intend to source all our hardwoods from FSC-certified suppliers within the next two years," Holmstrom said.
As a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, TerraSur continues to explore ways to reduce its carbon footprint.
"We dont crate our furniture," said Einar A. Elsner, executive vice president of TerraSur. "This reduces packaging waste and allows us to fit more pieces in a container, which significantly reduces the number of shipments per year."
In addition to a line of higher-end casegoods including hand-painted designs on wood, canvas and leather, TerraSur has custom capabilities to service the needs of the design and hospitality markets.
"We continue to look for ways to blend art and functionality into our pieces," said Holmstrom, "but we are also committed to the proposition that craftsmanship without sustainability is not a viable formula moving forward. Small steps become giant leaps if we all do our part to protect our planet."
The TerraSur line can be viewed here.