January 9,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on January 2007
Matthew Briggs has been named president of Austin, Texas-based importer Four Hands. He had been vice president and chief operating officer for two years, and moving forward, will continue the COO function.
Briggs joined the company in 2001 as director of operations. At the time, Four Hands was an $8 million niche player. In the five years since, Four Hands has been included in the INC 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America three times, and revenue has increased five-fold to $42 million in 2006.
Briggs is credited as the driving force behind the professionalization of the company, instituting rigorous quality assurance protocols, establishing a multi-tiered pricing program, creating an inventory clearance event, and successfully hiring and developing some of the best talent in the industry.
Other significant developments during his tenure have included: the move from a 30,000-square-foot facility to a 70,000-square-foot headquarters in Austin; the establishment of a permanent international operations office in China; landing 20 of the Top 100 U.S. furniture retailers as customers; and most recently, the launch of overseas warehousing.
Current initiatives include a another headquarters expansion-this time to 110,000 square feet; well as the January launch of a permanent showroom in Las Vegas.
He has been directly responsible for purchasing, sales, customer service, shipping, and receiving, as well as international operations. He also personally handles some of the company’s biggest wholesale accounts.
“He has had a profound impact on the development of our company, on our business model and on our culture,” said Four Hands founder Brett Hatton, “He is the voice of reason in our strategic planning meetings, he intuitively understands the customer’s perspective, and he is the best manager of people I have ever seen, bar none. This promotion simply acknowledges what he has been doing for us for years. We are lucky to have him.”
January 9,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on January 2007
The Bon-Ton Stores, which operates 283 department stores and eight furniture galleries, is adding a 65,000-square-foot furniture gallery as part of a revamping of its Parisian and Elder-Beerman stores in Beavercreek, Ohio.
The gallery is part of the renovation of the York, Pa.-based company’s 150,000-square-foot Elder-Beerman store and will be completed in September.
The company also will create a 15,000-square-foot Home Store in its former Parisian store in Indianapolis that will take on the Carson Pirie Scott nameplate when the project is completed in July.
“The additional space and remodels will allow us to increase the productivity of the stores and enhance the shopping experience for our customers in these markets,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Bud Bergren.
January 8,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on January 2007
Vince Hankins has been named director of new business development for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, the makers of Sunbrella fabrics.
In the newly created position, Hankins is responsible for identifying and developing new product and new market opportunities for Glen Raven. Hankins previously worked with the company in its yarn group and reports to Harry Gobble, director of marketing.
Hankins brings more than 19 years experience in the textile industry and previously was with Unifi as its sales manager for the company’s nylon business.
January 8,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedroom on January 2007
Effective today, the U.S. Department of Commerce has taken certain mirrored jewelry cabinets off the list of products subject to duties under an antidumping order against wood bedroom furniture made in China.
The subject merchandise is described as an “integrated piece consisting of a cheval mirror, i.e., a framed tiltable mirror with a height in excess of 50 inches, mounted on a floor-standing, hinged base, the cheval mirror serving as a door to a cabinet back that is integral to the structure of the mirror and which constitutes a jewelry cabinet lined with fabric, having necklace and bracelet hooks, mountings for rings and shelves, with or without a working lock and key to secure the contents of the jewelry cabinet back to the cheval mirror, and no drawers anywhere on the integrated piece. The fully assembled piece must be at least 50 inches in height, 14.5 inches in width, and 3 inches in depth.”
DOC will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to refund any estimated antidumping duties collected to date for such cabinets.
January 8,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on January 2007
Klaussner Furniture Inds. announced today that Tony Ocampo will step down as President of Klaussner of California at the end of January. He will remain with the company as a consultant to assist in the transition.
Charles Durham, who has been president of Klaussner of Mississippi for five years, will assume the leadership of Klaussner of California. Jerry Ellison will assume responsibility as division general manager of Klaussner of Mississippi, and David Green will continue as plant manager of that facility.
“After being in the furniture business almost my entire life, I have decided to shift my career into my second professional passion which is real estate and development,” Ocampo said in a company release. “This will allow me to spend more time with my family and together work with several charity organizations that are close to our hearts. I have enjoyed my time with Klaussner, especially working with J.B. Davis who has been a wonderful leader and a good friend.”
Ocampo started Golden Oaks Upholstery, Iocated in La Mirada, Calif., in 1993 and sold the company to Klaussner in 2000. Golden Oaks was consolidated into Klaussner in early 2006.
“We appreciate what Tony has done to help solidify and increase Klaussner’s presence on the West Coast,” said J.B. Davis, KFI president and CEO. “He is a great friend to our company and to me personally.”