August 16,
2006 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on August 2006
A four-alarm fire wiped out an already struggling location of McMahan’s Furniture, a downtown Salem, OR furniture store last week. Investigators told reporters for kgw.com on Wednesday they will probably rule out arson as the cause.
McMahan’s was scheduled to go out of business later this year and was preparing a liquidation sale.
Such a sale will not be necessary now.
“Fires at furniture stores can be nasty,” Salem Fire Chief Mike Knode said to Dan DeCarbonel, a reporter for the Statesman Journal. “Furniture burns black smoke.”
The building was considered a total loss. The Marion County Assessor’s office pegged the value of the 36,876-foot building at $768,180. The building was not required to have a sprinkler system. Salem fire marshals recently had toured the building as part of a scheduled visit. Because the building is in danger of collapsing, demolition is scheduled for Monday.
McMahan’s is asking consumers who paid for furniture that was destroyed in the fire to contact its Albany store, said Jan Margosian, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Attorney General’s Office.
McMahan’s told the attorney general’s office they will attempt to locate replacement furniture, offer credit towards another selection or provide full refunds to customers, Margosian said.
The company has asked consumers to wait until Monday to contact the Albany store at (541) 928-3356.
August 15,
2006 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on August 2006
Shermag Inc. is laying off another 90 workers at a factory in Disraeli, Que., as the money-losing furniture-maker continues with an extensive restructuring.
The layoffs will take effect Oct. 9, for an indefinite period, the company said via a release.
The company has already announced the closure of a plant in Victoriaville, Que., and the proposed closing of several others.
Shermag announced in June that it plans to move some of its production to Asia because a strong Canadian dollar and high labor and warehousing costs resulted in a 25-per-cent drop in revenue and a $22.7-million loss in the fourth quarter.
Last year, the company also had problems integrating a new computer system and experienced “temporary issues” with two U.S. department store chains.
The company hopes to return to profitability by building its “standardized furniture” in Asia, leaving the Quebec operations responsible for “make-to-order-based production models.”
The company stock declined four cents on the Toronto Stock Exchange Monday morning to $2.16.
August 15,
2006 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on August 2006
Sixty finalists have been chosen in the 2006 Annual ASFD Pinnacle Design Achievement Awards competition, representing 4 finalists in each of the 15 categories. Having received the largest number of entries ever, the Pinnacle Judges convened for a full day on August 10 at High Point University’s Norton Hall to decide on whom the potential winners may be. The 2006 Pinnacle Finalists are:
Occasional Tables
Glasgow Matt Hurley, ASFD; Dudley Moore, Jr.,
Susan Leis Magnussen Home
Gabriella’s Tea Cart Lauren Brooks Designs by Kathy Imes, ASFD Vanguard
New Omni William Faber Century Furniture
Halifax Michael Wolk Allan Copley Designs
Occasional Storage
“A-Shoe-In” Jena Hall Aspenhome
Whitney Serpentine Sideboard Martha Stewart Signature Design Team Bernhardt Furniture Co.
Larkspur Bar Cabinet Martha Stewart Signature Design Team Bernhardt Furniture Co.
Barcelona Bar Cabinet Martin de Blois, ASFD Polidor
Juvenile Furniture
Old World Crib Kelly Neal Mariotti, ASFD Green Frog Art
Z-Bedroom John Conrad, ASFD; Anne Russell, ASFD; Sean Slack, ASFD Powell Company, Inc.
Sunday Funnies Jeffry Blaesing; Walt Shaw, ASFD Powell Company, Inc.
Surfer’s Chase Michael D. Warren, ASFD; Shannon Lookabill Stanley Furniture Co. Inc.
Casual Dining
Tradewinds Bernice Streegan-Montenegro, Joselito A. Ursua David Francis Furniture
Caperana William Faber Century Furniture
Tangent Square Carl Muller, ASFD Elite Manufacturing Corp.
Marga Marcel Optal, Maya Basyroel Box Furniture
Formal Dining
Omni Dining William Faber Century Furniture
Hampton Library Jorge Jaramillo, Margaret Leigh Zocalo
Ceriana James Dipersia, ASFD Excelsior Designs
Louis Louis Rick Schroeder Stanley Furniture Co. Inc.
Motion Upholstery
Jill & Zac Rick Lee, ASFD American Leather
Aries Jack Lewis, ASFD Jaymar Furniture Co.
Atlantis John Contreras Elite Leather Co.
Seaney Lauren Brooks Designs by Kathy Imes, ASFD Vanguard
Stationary Upholstery
Valerie Todd Oldham La-Z-Boy Residential
Morrison’s Sofa Lauren Brooks Designs by Kathy Imes, ASFD Vanguard
Monica’s Chaise Lauren Brooks Designs by Kathy Imes, ASFD Vanguard
Teri Nancy Genova, ASFD John Charles Designs
Leather Upholstery
Sloane Bud Caywood, ASFD Hancock & Moore
Leda, Home Theater Rick Lee, ASFD American Leather
Pasadena Michael F. Galardo Elite Leather Co.
Marlon Lulu DeKwiatkowski Elite Leather Co.
Accessories
Capital Balcony Jody Clark; Gail Burger Global Views/Willamsburg
Custom Rugs by Pia Pia Cyrulnik, ASFD Carpet Creation Inc.
Stone Sculptures Yuri Zatarain The Phillips Collection
Barcelona Screen Martin de Blois, ASFD Polidor
Lighting
Table & Floor Lamp John Burke, ASFD Lighting Enterprises
Bella Rustica Billy Moon Moon Style
Bronze Table Lamp #5706 Ian Fowler Decorative Crafts
Brass/Crystal Lamp #5895 Ian Fowler Decorative Crafts
Home Office
Young Classics Nano Desk Andy Nielsen, Ken Levi, Jena Hall Aspenhome
Tufano Mike Warren, ASFD; Shannon Lookabill Sligh Furniture co.
Melbourne Joe McCambridge, ASFD Sligh Furniture Co.
New Amsterdam Secretary Martha Stewart Signature Design Team Bernhardt Furniture Co.
Entertainment/Home Theater
Crossings Rick Shaver Cresent Fine Furniture
Vista Collection Keith Myers, Doug Gerig, Tim Parsons Sauder Woodworking
Cambridge Hideaway Cale Knopf Century Furniture
Umber TV Console Gordon Stannis Sligh Furniture
Summer/Casual
Sun Chaser Dale Campbell Lloyd Flanders
Weybridge Shaun Sweeney, ASFD Woodard
Strata Michael Farrell Brown Jordan
Eclipse Sling Rocking Chaise John Caldwell, ASFD Woodard/Langrave
Bedroom
Woolrich Summerstone Falls Troy A. Hollis Lexington Home BrandsYoung Classics
Jena Hall, Stephanie Lena Aspenhome
Irvington Nickel Plated bed Martha Stewart Signature Design Team Bernhardt Furniture Co.
Savoy Berry & Clark Design Associates Planum
Major Collections
Biltmore Estate For Your Home Matt Hurley, ASFD; Dudley Moore, Jr.
Magnussen HomeKelly Hoppen Collection Tom Hall Century Furniture
Caperana William Faber Century Furniture
Belle Maison Michael Black, Ed Ball Drexel Heritage Furniture Ind
August 14,
2006 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on August 2006
The High Point Market Authority said, via a release yesterday, that central registration locations are to include both the 220 Elm and the C&D showroom buildings this fall.
All exhibitors, showroom and sales staff will be issued High Point Market passes which will be recognized by all of the showroom buildings; a first ever at Market.
According to Brian Casey, president of the High Point Market Authority, the additional central registration locations were added to help smooth Market’s official opening day, which is Monday, October 16, 2006.
“Certainly, we are encouraging pre-registration for all Market attendees, in order to speed everyone on their way that morning and ensure that their time is used productively,” Casey said. “That said, we’re working hard to make it easy for attendees to tailor the Market experience to their unique needs.”
Better ground transportation is another way the Market Authority has planned a more seamless experience for Market attendees.
“We’ve enhanced our on-line planning tools at
www.highpointmarket.org, added special discounts on rental cars, increased shuttle times from the Raleigh and Charlotte Airports and expanded both the hours and equipment devoted to our Go-Anywhere Shuttles which were so well received last Market,” says Tammy Covington Nagem, vice president of operations. “Plus, the covering of our new transportation terminal will be halfway to completion by Market and fully covered by the spring. These are just a few of the ways that we’re working to improve the overall customer experience here in High Point, because where the Market Authority is concerned, innovation is the name of the game.”