June 24,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on June 2007
Don Webb has joined Broyhill Furniture Inds., Lenoir, N.C., in the new position of executive vice president of sales and merchandising. He reports to Broyhill President Jeff Cook.
In addition, Michael Delgatti has left his position of executive vice president of upholstery and occasional merchandising. The company confirmed Delgatti’s departure Monday morning.
Webb came to Broyhill from Magnussen Home Furnishings, where he was vice president of sales for western North America and responsible for all facets of sales and account management. At Broyhill, Webb will be responsible for unifying Broyhill’s sales and merchandising efforts
“Don is a real strategic thinker. This, coupled with his unequalled work ethic, makes him unparalleled in our industry. His knowledge and experience on both the manufacturing and retailing sides of our business will be invaluable,” Cook says.
At Broyhill, Webb also is charged with creating a Center of Excellence to ensure that Broyhill strategically develops products that respond to the needs of consumers and is right for the marketplace.
“This trend-setting center will spark a much-needed change ... our industry has needed for a long time,” Cook said. “We will focus on developing product that the consumer wants to buy as opposed to developing product that we want to sell.”
Prior to Magnussen, Webb was vice president of sales for the Ashley Millennium division and served on the Ashley Home Store Development team. Other experience includes serving as director of business development for Bush Industries and a variety of sales, merchandising and buying positions with Lea Industries, Master Design, Breuners and Levitz.
In addition to his sales and merchandising expertise, Webb brings significant entrepreneurial experience. He was the co-founder of Prudential Research, Inc., a research company specializing in infant and female healthcare and nutrition, and a consultant to AspenWorks, LTD, a developer of ISP services for rural communities and commercial computer hardware and applications.
Delgatti spent most of his career at Broyhill before joining Clayton Marcus as president in 2003. He returned to Broyhill two years ago to direct upholstery and occasional merchandising.
June 24,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on June 2007
Scott Coogan has joined Casual Creations, Sarasota, Fla., as vice president of design and product development.
In addition to performing the same function with companies such as Pompeii Furniture and Pride Family Brands, Coogan’s experience also includes work as a freelance designer in the home furnishings industry.
“The wealth of knowledge, hands-on experience and style sense that Scott brings to the Casual Creations family of products will certainly put us in a very competitive position with a new level of stylish offerings,” said Chief Executive Officer Arthur James Jr. “We knew moving forward that we needed to become fashion-forward at Casual Creations, and we also wanted to create a boutique and exclusive high-end division of our company.”
June 21,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on June 2007
Homemakers Furniture, Des Moines, will expand its showroom to 215,000 square feet with a $30 million project, according to Associated Press.
The project also includes a warehouse expansion and a doubling of parking space. Homemakers plans to add 100 new employees as part of its growth.
The Merschman family founded Homemakers in 1974 and sold the business to Nebraska Furniture Mart, Omaha, Neb., part of Berkshire Hathaway, in 2000.
June 21,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Mattresses on June 2007
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Thursday that new mattress flammability standards will prevent as many as 270 deaths and 1,330 injuries each year. All mattresses manufactured in or imported into the United States after July 1 must meet a new standard designed to reduce the severity of mattress fires ignited by open flame sources such as candles, matches and lighters.
Acting CPSC Chairman Nancy Nord said, “The new federal flammability standard limits the spread and intensity of a mattress fire. That will give consumers valuable time to excape their homes if there’s a fire, and it will save lives.”
The announcement urges consumers to look for mattress labels stating the product meets the new mattress rule known as 16 CFR Part 1633. The CPSC is offering consumers a free publication, “Sleep Safer: A Fire Resistant Mattress Can Save Your Life,” that is available in English and Spanish by sending an e-mail request to info@cpsc.gov for a PDF form.
June 21,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on June 2007
In a deal worth as much as $70 million, floorcoverings and fabrics manufacturer Interface Inc., Atlanta, announced Wednesday that it will sell its fabrics division to an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Boca Raton, Fla., a private investment firm with a large and growing presence in home furnishings.
The division, known as InterfaceFABRIC, is a leading producer of interior fabrics and upholstery products, which it markets under the Guilford of Maine, Chatham and Terratex brands, and provides specialized automotive textile solutions.
According to the terms of the agreement, Interface will receive approximately $63.5 million in cash proceeds at the closing of the transaction, with potential for an additional $6.5 million in cash proceeds, subject to the division meeting certain performance metrics over the subsequent six to eighteen months period.
The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter, subject to regulatory review and other customary closing conditions.