Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
February 21,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on February 2007
Case goods vendor Stanley Furniture Co. has promoted Ray Harding Jr. to vice president of sales for Young America; and Brad Miller to vice president of international sales and special markets.
Harding, a 20-year industry veteran, rejoined Stanley, based in Stanleytown, Va., as sales manager for Young America in April 2006 after spending 13 years there as a sales representative in the 1980s and early 1990s. His experience also includes owning and operating three Badcock&more franchises in western North Carolina, and serving as a sales representative for Somma Mattress and Pulaski Furniture.
“Since joining Stanley Furniture, Ray has been an innovative member of our team and an integral part of implementing new processes into our Young America sales efforts,” said Glenn Prillaman, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Stanley Furniture. “We are confident that under Ray’s leadership, Young America will continue to grow and maintain its leadership position within the industry.”
Miller has served as director of international sales for Stanley Furniture for the past two years. Miller brings more than 10 years of management experience which includes working as an international account executive for Cone Mills Corp. He previously worked for Lackawanna Leather as director of purchasing.
“Brad has successfully heightened our visibility in the foreign marketplace and extended our distribution network into other countries,” Prillaman said. “His worldwide sales experience has made him a tremendous asset to our international sales team in the global marketplace.”
February 21,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Delivery on February 2007
An Internet furniture retailer based in High Point has been ordered to stop collecting money from customers in advance of deliveries after prompting a series of complaints, including some shoppers who said they had not received deliveries a year after placing their orders, according to an announcement by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper Wednesday.
On Friday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway issued a preliminary injunction to stop National Furniture of High Point and its owner, Myron Savage, from taking deposits unless the money is placed in an escrow account and the store gives a realistic delivery time or allows customers to get a refund upon request. Cooper has also asked National Furniture to pay refunds.
Cooper filed suit against the company on February 6 after receiving 34 complaints from consumers in several states. Greensboro’s Better Business Bureau has also received 74 complaints against the company over the past three years. In November, Cooper won an injunction against High Point’s N.C. Furniture By Direct, which had prompted more than 300 complaints.
February 21,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on February 2007
Vaughan Furniture Co., Galax, Va., and John Scarsella, the former CEO of Durham Furniture, have joined forces to launch a new up-scale, domestic case goods manufacturer called Virginia Sterling.
The new company will debut at spring High Point market in a 5,000-square-foot showroom located at 228 Market Square with four solid wood bedroom collections. Virginia Sterling will target the middle to upper middle segment of the market with retail prices for bedrooms ranging from $2,999 to $3,999; and focus on providing a limited network of retailers with exclusive products and services. Product is scheduled to ship in June.
Vaughan, currently in its 84th year of operation, sees Virginia Sterling as an opportunity to take greater advantage of its domestic manufacturing assets and expertise. Virginia Sterling will be an independent division of Vaughan with all products manufactured in the Vaughan’s 350,000-square-foot Galax plant, where Vaughan also has an on-site lumber yard, dry kilns, and distribution center.
“We have incredible talent, resources, and experience in our domestic operation” said Vaughan President Taylor Vaughan. “The Virginia Sterling division will allow us to use and grow those resources to their fullest potential. Our people couldn’t be more excited about providing high quality, great looking furniture that is manufactured right here in Galax.”
Scarsella & Associates, a furniture marketing and sales firm owned and operated by John Scarsella and his son Michael Scarsella, will direct all product development, sales, marketing, and customer support for Virginia Sterling from their offices in Canfield, Ohio
John Scarsella spent 15 years in retail prior to moving into the wholesale end of the industry. In 1993, his marketing company was retained by Orville Mead, then president and part owner of Durham Furniture, to develop and oversee the company’s sales, product design, and marketing operation. Durham enjoyed tremendous growth and success and in 2002, following Mead’s death, Scarsella became Durham’s CEO. In 2005, he left Durham and has spent the last 18 months honoring his non-competition agreement.
“I can’t express how thrilled we are to be working with the Vaughan family and their staff.” John Scarsella said. “They truly are one of our industries great American companies and Virginia Sterling will stand as a direct representation of their integrity and commitment to their community.”
“We are committed to the independent retailer and we understand what they need from vendors – style, quality, value, service and, most important, a truly protective distribution philosophy that is diligently managed and maintained allowing each dealer to effectively market Virginia Sterling in their trading area and maximize profits.” said Scarsella.
“The Scarsella’s have a successful track record, unmatched enthusiasm, and a deep understanding of the market Virginia Sterling will target – when you combine that with Vaughan’s history of superior domestic manufacturing we have no doubt that the Virginia Sterling division will be successful,”,said Bill Vaughan, Vaughan CEO.
February 21,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on February 2007
Aaron Rents, Atlanta, reported record revenues and earnings Tuesday as revenues for the year that ended Dec. 31 topped $1.32 billion, an 18 percent increase over the previous year. The company, which has 1,350 company-owned and franchised stores, is primarily focused on the rental and sale of home and office furniture, electronics and appliances.
For the fourth quarter, revenues increased 15 percent to $339.9 million, and net earnings increased 30 percent to $19 million. During 2006, net earnings increased 36 percent to $78.6 million. The company added 146 sales and lease ownership stores, a 13 percent increase, during the year.
In a statement, Chairman and CEO Charles Loudermilk said he expects revenues to top $1.5 billion this year.
February 21,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on February 2007
Furniture Brands International filed suit in January in the U.S. Court of International Trade to get a piece of pay-outs of antidumping duties on wood bedroom furniture from China. FBI seeks almost $6.4 million of duties collected under the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act, also known as the “Byrd Amendment.”
FBI was not part of the group of domestic manufacturers that petitioned the International Trade Commission in 2003 for an antidumping investigation of Chinese manufacturers of wood bedroom furniture.
After the ITC ruled that domestic manufacturers in the category were indeed damaged by dumping in October 2003, it initiated a Department of Commerce investigation that resulted in an antidumping duty order on wood bedroom furniture from China in January 2005.
FBI’s suit names the United States of America, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. International Trade Commission as plaintiffs.
While acknowledging that it did not support the original petition with the International Trade Commission, FBI cited two Court of International Trade rulings in its action: a July 2006 judgment involving crayfish, Chez Sidney v. United States International Trade Commission; and an initial September 2006 ruling in a case involving ball bearings, SKF USA Inc. v. United States, in which both cases CIT ruled that the support requirement of the Byrd Amendment violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause.
Chez Sidney did not support the domestic crayfish industry’s antidumping petition, and SKF had opposed the petition for an investigation of ball-bearing dumping.
FBI did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.
FBI’s case was part of a package of materials provided by the law firm Neville Peterson for an antidumping briefing sponsored by the American Home Furnishings Alliance Wednesday at High Point University. There could be more cases such as FBI’s said John Peterson, an attorney with Neville Peterson.
“The ITC says the SFK case is still up in the air, and I suspect that if this case is still pending this year with the first distribution of Byrd money, I anticipate (FBI will) file an injunction against the distribution,” he said. “I don’t expect this issue to be cleared up for a year or two.”
FBI was one of few vendors that was a vocal opponent of the original petition to investigate Chinese wood bedroom manufacturers, with company personnel testifying on behalf of the opposition at the earliest ITC hearings on the issue.
At an International Trade Commission hearing in November 2004 after the American Furniture Manufacturers for Fair Trade had filed its petition for an antidumping investigation, Lynn Chipperfield, FBI senior vice president and chief administrative officer told ITC that imports were not to blame for furniture manufacturers’ difficulties.
“We don’t need any protection and we’re asking you please don’t do us any favors,” he told ITC. “We ask that you enter a finding that there has not been any material injury to the domestic industry as a result of imports and that you let us go back to work and get on with the business of competing in the international marketplace.”