August 20,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on August 2007
Bray Manderson and Dee Allen have joined high-end Italian manufacturer Francesco Molon as sales representatives. Both report to Bob Cattich, Francesco Molon’s national sales and marketing manager for the United States.
Manderson, who handles South Carolina and Georgia, began his industry career with E.J. Victor, where he eventually became Southeast sales rep. He also has retail experience.
Allen, who is responsible for Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi sales, had 20-plus years of sales experience with American Drew before representing Stiffel Lamps, C.R. Laine and Cochrane. Allen’s retail experience includes House Fine Furniture, and serving as merchandising manager at Castleberry’s Furniture before representing Isenhour Furniture.
August 20,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on August 2007
The owners of more than 25 Maryland furniture stores sponsored an ad in Monday’s Baltimore Examiner criticizing a proposed sales tax increase, the Baltimore Business Journal reported Monday.
The retailers include Baltimore-area dealers Shofer’s Furniture, Gardiner’s Furniture and Gavigan’s Furniture.
Maryland lawmakers have several proposals to consider that call for sales tax increases. Retailers expect that the state, facing a $1.5 billion deficit, will look at raising the sales tax as one way to make up for the budget shortfall.
“We’re working to keep that from happening,” Maryland Retailers Association President Thomas Saquella told the Business Journal regarding proposals to raise the sales tax.
The retailer group will encourage members to post signs critical of sales-tax increases in their stores.
August 20,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on August 2007
High Point Market organizers are counting on an upgraded online “Market Planner” tool going live on the market’s Web site this week to help buyers plan a more productive trip to the show, which takes place Oct. 1-7.
The Market Planner lets visitors research exhibitors and events prior to market, then select and save showrooms and events they don’t want to miss to their personal “Market Plan.” To use the tool, log on to the High Point Market Web site,
www.highpointmarket.org, click on “Planning Your Visit,” and then click the “Market Planning” icon.
“Buyers can search and map their route by company name, showroom building or product category and create a pdf file that they can e-mail to associates and/or print out to carry along in High Point, complete with a map of shuttle routes that serve the sights they most want to see,” said Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive of the High Point Market Authority.
This season, the Market Planner has been upgraded to include designations that indicate whether an exhibitor is small-retailer-friendly and/or designer-friendly, whether the exhibitor is a container-only supplier, has a U.S. warehouse and/or whether the exhibitor has minimum-order requirements.
“Buyers responded very positively when we created a printed Market directory with these designations and many suggested that we marry these designations to the Market Planner function on the Web site,” Casey said.
August 19,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Markets on August 2007
Live Green, Live Well, scheduled for Sept. 19-20 at the San Francisco Mart, had signed 32 exhibitors as of Aug. 1, according to a release last week from organizers of the event, which bills itself as the first home furnishings trade show dedicated to sustainable products and design.
Following is an alphabetical list of furniture and accessory exhibitors as of the beginning of August.
• Decima Island Designs: goods made from natural materials such as seagrass, abaca banana leaves and water hyacinth. All products are woven by hand; no glues are used.
• Eco-terric: supplier of green and healthy furnishings and accessories for the home. All products are sustainable, socially responsible and made from the organic and natural materials. Lines include The Mary Cordaro Collection of Naturally Healthy Beds and Bedding, Kalamkari linens, Cisco Brothers’ Inside Green, a collection of 100% organically constructed, naturally upholstered, fine furniture, and Carpets of Imagination by Alicia D. Keshishian. Forest Stewardship Council-certified upholstery; RugMark certified rugs.
• Green Light: lamps and lighting, all products are completely restored and refinished selected vintage pieces.
• Knu: maker of sustainable contemporary home office furniture using only sustainably harvested wood products; and manufacturing furniture in an energy efficient facility that offsets 100 percent of its carbon emissions. Sustainable Furniture Council member; U.S. Green Building Council member; Forest Stewardship Council components.
• Magnolia Lane: manufacturer of custom window coverings (curtains and soft shades), cushions, pillows and bedding, working directly with residential and commercial interior designers and architects.
• New Pacific Direct: showing the Cordoba Collection, a reclaimed solid teak line using wood acquired from older houses in Indonesia.
• Padma’s Plantation: supplier of furniture in natural materials such as seagrass and rattan. Sustainable Furniture Council member.
• Palecek: maker of distinctive furniture, lighting, and accessories for retailers, designers and the contract hospitality industry relying on quickly renewable resources such as rattan, abaca, and bamboo, as well as plantation-grown woods that do not deplete forests. Major contributor to the reforestation project in the Philippines; supports the preservation of the cultural heritage of craftspeople by investing in schools and local arts programs in the Philippines, Indonesia, and other countries
• Peti Antk: furniture handmade by highly skilled local craftsmen in Central Java, mostly in recycled teak, aged from 80 to 200 years, from ships, houses and railroad ties.
• Pixel Organics: manufacturer of U.S.-made organic mattresses and bedding for infants and children, with packaging designed for after-market “re uses.”
• SDH: maker of luxurious natural bedding and linens for bedroom, bath, nursery and tabletop.
• South Cone Trading: a world leader in sustainable furniture manufacturing. Furniture and accessories from reclaimed and sustainably-harvested woods. Founding member of Sustainable Furniture Council; Forest Stewardship Council and Rainforest Alliance member; supports “Conservation Makes Cents” PaTS program.
Other exhibitors include:
• Beronio Lumber: high quality, environmentally preferable siding, paneling, wainscoting and specialty mouldings, as well as a full line of builder’s hardware, windows, doors and hardwood flooring.
• Brand Kitchens & Design: designer and remodeler of kitchens and baths offering design, installation, coordination and support featuring high quality, environmentally beneficial cabinet lines including Neff Kitchens, Neil Kelly, Robco and Silver Walker Custom Cabinets.
• Ceramic Tile Design: Bay Area supplier of green building materials with lines including Oceanside Glass, Ice Stone Durable Surfaces, Fortis Arbor wood tiles, Debris by Fireclay Tile and Metaphor Bronze. The company is a member of the U.S. Green Building council and Build it Green.
• Danmer Custom Shutters: producer of wood and synthetic shutters made of Thermalite, a wood substitute the company says is the only 100 percent non-toxic, flame retardant, water-resistant synthetic material that insulates more than two times greater than wood, using an environmentally friendly, water based painting process for finish. DCS is a State of California Integrated Waste Management WRAP award recipient.
• EA International: environmentally friendly vinyl packaging solutions, soft-sided cases, accessories and related products. ISO 14001 certified for environmental impact; ISO9001-2000 certified for manufacturing & production; awarded Outstanding Performance Certificates by the U.S. Department of Transportation; Sustainable Forestry Initiative member.
• eGO: environmentally-friendly electric cycles.
• Falcon Waterfree Technologies: a leading provider of waterless urinal systems.
• FLOR: residential line of high-style, modular floor coverings in recycled or renewable resources. ISO 14001 certified for environmental impact; ISO9001-2000 certified for manufacturing & production; certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.
• French Bros.: commercial and residential carpet, hardwood flooring and tile, and window coverings.
• Go Green Candles: hand-poured 100 percent palm wax candles with no dyes or fragrance, and packaged using recycled or rescued materials.
• Green Home Center: catering to homeowners seeking an eco-friendly home with products from furniture to roofing, countertop to doors, they cater to all needs for an eco-friendly home; LEED Certified consultants; U.S. Green Building Council member.
Gustave Carlson Design: Bay Area-based architectural firm specializing in custom residential additions, renovations, and preservation, as well as interior design. Certified Green Building Professional; AIA member.
• Liberty Valley Doors: custom door manufacturer specializing in architectural stile and rail doors meeting or exceeding all requirements for green building certification.
• NextEnergy: design and installation of premium solar energy systems for homes and businesses.
• NOOD Flooring: flooring with materials and processes that are proven sustainable.
• PermLight Products: leader and innovator in the manufacture of high-output, energy-saving LED systems for illuminated signs, residential LED lighting, marina applications, and theater and performing arts center lighting.
• San Francisco Department of the Environment: develops innovative, practical and wide-ranging environmental programs to improve, enhance and preserve the city’s long-term well being. Implemented Green Building Program in accordance with LEED Silver standards.
• Sherwin Williams Paints: maker of LEED-compliant paint and wall coverings. GreenSure designation for environmentally preferred products with maximum performance. U.S. Green Building Council member.
• Sustainable Furniture Council: a non-profit industry association committed to promoting sustainable practices within the home furnishings business. Sustainable practices are those that create a healthy balance between the environment, local economy and social equity.
• Sustainable Spaces: licensed contractor specializing in home testing and building performance remediation, applying building science to identify specific steps that will improve comfort, indoor air quality and energy efficiency.
The San Francisco Mart expects attendees from a range of trade professions, including interior designers, retail furniture and accessory buyers, architects, builders, contractors, developers, design students, home stagers and specifiers. To become an exhibitor, contact Dawn McCann at dmccann@sfmart.com or (415) 437-7131. For registration information, contact Guest Services at buyerservices@sfmart.com or (415) 552-2311.