Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
May 17,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on May 2007
Home Meridian International, parent company of SLF and Pulaski, is considering High Point for its corporate headquarters, according to The Business Journal of the Greater Triad (N.C.).
SLF is currently based in Phoenix, but has its main showroom and an operations office in High Point.
The city of High Point will consider $200,000 in incentives to bring Home Meridian’s headquarters to the community. The move would initially bring 21 jobs to the area. Home Meridian, formed last year through the merger of SLF and Pulaski, Pulaski, Va., is looking at a 20,000-square-foot office space in Premier Center, located north of downtown on N.C. Highway 68.
May 17,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Las Vegas on May 2007
The World Market Center in Las Vegas has committed to establishing a presence for sustainable products beginning at this summer’s show, according to Mark Gruman, who with Tim Loveday, writes the blog Sustainable Furniture Gurus.
The two formed Channel Logic this year, a manufacturing representative firm handling sustainable home furnishings and raw materials products.
“We’re beginning with an area of about 6,000 square feet of show space in the Sands Convention Center, with plans to grow the Green Living presence to eventually cover an entire floor in Phase IV,” Gruman wrote in the blog.
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May 17,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on May 2007
Bob’s Discount Furniture, Manchester, Conn., will hold a grand opening at its new store in South Attleboro, Mass., next Thursday. The location is the retailer’s seventh store in Massachusetts, and 28th overall.
The South Attleboro store will serve Bristol County, as well as customers in the Pawtucket, R.I., area.
The 10 a.m. grand opening will be followed by a weekend celebration starting Saturday at 10 a.m. President Bob Kaufman will be on hand to greet customers at the grand opening.
When the new store opens, Bob’s Discount Furniture will have 28 locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island.
May 16,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on May 2007
Contemporary retailer Design Within Reach, San Francisco, posted a net loss of $3.8 million for the first quarter of 2007 ended March 31, compared to a net loss of $4.2 million during the same period last year.
Net sales for the quarter, which include product and shipping revenue, were $43.8 million, up from $35 million in the first three months of 2006. Product sales for the quarter were $40.7 million, compared to $31.5 million in the first quarter last year.
“We are pleased with our 25 percent sales growth and ability to leverage expenses as we continue our efforts to drive our business toward profitability,” said Ray Brunner, chief executive officer. “We continue to manage our expenses and have made significant progress on improving our financial disciplines. We will now focus our efforts on improving product margin as we return to our core competency of providing high-end, design-based products to a luxury consumer.”
In its earnings release, the company said it is maintaining its 2007 guidance, and expects to achieve about $190 million in sales and break-even earnings.
May 16,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Mattresses on May 2007
W.S. Badcock, Mulberry, Fla., which operates a network of more than 300 furniture stores, is shutting its mattress factory as a result of global competition and new flammability safety standards that take effect July 1.
Most of the factory’s 39 workers will be shifted to other jobs within the company. Others will receive severance packages and job placement assistance. Officials said the new Federal Open Flame Flammability Standard would require Badcock to significantly expand its factory to meet the new requirements. The company will instead outsource mattress manufacturing to International Bedding Corporation.
“This is an extremely difficult decision, but a necessary one to allow (Badcock) to focus its resources on the retail business to sustain growth and profitability,” said President and CEO Don Marks. “By outsourcing to IBC, we will ensure that Badcock can continue to uphold the same standard of quality mattresses that our customers have come to rely on and expect.”