Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
January 7,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on January 8, 2013
Rupal Mamtani has joined furniture, rugs, bedding and pillows vendor Classic Concepts as a senior account manager.
Were thrilled to have Rupal join the company, said Thomas Andonian, general manager of Classic Home, Los Angeles. She has over 15 years of experience in this industry in retail, wholesale, sales, purchasing and product development. Basically, she understands the business from every perspective which makes her an amazingly qualified account manager.
Mamtani is based out of the companys Atlanta showroom and will represent key accounts in the Mid-Atlantic States.
Prior to joining Classic Concepts, Mamtani owned and operated furniture vendor Bluefish Home. Under her leadership Bluefish Home grew into a highly recognizable brand and launched a profitable retail store. She gained extensive knowledge in product design and development, global sourcing, manufacturing and sales. During her last two years at Bluefish she operated the retail store, Global Living.
Classic Home was one of the best selling lines in my store, said Mamtani. It is exciting to be representing a line that I already know and love. I have always admired their reputation and ability to bring beautifully designed solid-wood furniture to the industry. I will have a lot to offer my accounts.
January 7,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Business Strategy on January 8, 2013
A Sunday panel at the Canadian Home Furnishings Market will examine ways to find new clients through new marketing models.
Sponsored by women's home furnishings leadership network WithIt; ViewIt Technologies and SOFA (Source of Furniture + Accessories), the session is set for Sunday, 3-4 p.m., in the WithIt/ViewIt Technologies showroom, Suite #111 at The International Center, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga, Ontario.
This interactive discussion will explore how the world of marketing is changing everything about the furniture and design industries. An inspirational panel of women leaders will provide a behind the scenes look at how an integrated marketing strategy that incorporates print, radio, TV, social media and old fashioned networking has impacted their businesses. Theyll examine the failures, successes and new best practices Canadian businesses face in marketing initiatives and product development.
Panelists include:
* Julia Rosien, moderator. Rosien is the founder and chief idea officer of SocialNorth, a social media strategy firm, as well as founder and owner of GoGirlfriend, a travel-based Website for women. She serves on various boards of directors and is chairman of Withit.org, a non-profit organization for women in the home and furnishings industries. Co-founder of Canadas first 140 Conference, Julia is much-requested speaker in a variety of industries and has been featured in print, radio and TV across North America.
* Joanne Jakab, principal designer at Joanne Jakab Interior Design and an award-winning full service interior design professional with 15 years experience creating unique interiors for homeowners in the Greater Toronto area. Her work has been prominently featured in print and broadcast media throughout Canada & the United States, such as; Creating Great Guest Rooms, Decorating for the First Time and The Complete Photo Guide to Window Treatments, Canadian Living, West of the City, Canadian House & Home, Draperies & Window Treatments, Window Fashions, Small Room Decorating, Arabella Design & Better Homes and Gardens.
* Jodi Mason, lead stylist and owner of Urban Home Windsor, a furniture and design studio operating and growing successfully since 2004. The firm prides itself in offering design solutions that create interest and impact as well as a "not so ordinary collection" of furniture and accents.
* Lisa Ferguson, principal of Lisa Ferguson Interior Design, a Toronto-based full scope interior design firm, with more than 350 unique projects completed and 23 years experience designing furniture and lighting in addition to interiors.
She is best known for seeing the need to make design more approachable and long before HGTV and design blogs, pioneered the Decorating Excursion concept. The Decorating Excursion has often been imitated all over the world after it was featured in both Style at Home and The Toronto Star.
* Samantha Mund, the social media voice for West Bros. Furniture, manufacturer of sustainable solid wood furniture in North America for almost two decades. When not managing their Twitter presence, in her role as customer service representative, Samantha also serves as the interface with West Bros customers worldwide; working with furniture designers and interior designers to assist them with their floor plans, furniture selection, fabric and finish customization. Additionally, Mund assists with the companys marketing initiatives; developing brochures, newsletters, press releases, and also steps up to serve as their spokesperson.
Registration for the panel required, and may be done here; and attendees must register for TCHFM separately to attend the panel event.
January 6,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on January 7, 2013
Case goods and upholstery vendor A.R.T. Furniture is moving to a new showroom for the Jan. 28-Feb. 1 Las Vegas Furniture Market.
Weve very excited about the move, said Jeff Cook, CEO of A.R.T. Furniture, of the new space, B-1001 of World Market Center Las Vegas. Well be right in the heart of the furniture action on a floor that generates great traffic. Being in Building B will make it easier for our existing customers to visit us and it also will help us reach new accounts that were not currently serving.
At the Winter Market, A.R.T. Furniture plans an ambitious slate of new product, including a whole-home collection of bedroom, dining room and upholstered furniture. The collection--a modern rendition of classic traditional--will feature inventive finishes and fashion-forward fabrics. This introduction marks the first time A.R.T. has brought out new upholstery at the Las Vegas Market.
Weve had great success with our case goods introductions in Las Vegas during the past three years, so it makes sense to offer our retailers something fresh in upholstery as well, said Cook. This will be brand new product never shown before. We regard Las Vegas as an important venue for the introduction of new product, along with High Point.
A division of Markor International, A.R.T. Furniture offers a full range of traditional and transitional furniture. Along with case goods and upholstery, its line also includes a variety of occasional, entertainment and office furniture. The companys construction features include English dovetailing and UV finishing on all drawer interiors and sophisticated wire management and ventilation solutions on entertainment pieces.
January 6,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Acquisition on January 7, 2013
Jerry and KC Cunningham, founders of Napa Home & Garden, have acquired the assets of the home and garden accents vendor from Teters Floral Products.
As part of this transaction, the Cunninghams have partnered with C&F Enterprises Inc., a leading textile and gift wholesaler, who will lend financial and operational support to Napa. Napa will continue to run its home and garden business from its Duluth, Ga., headquarters and maintain its national showrooms and sales force.¨¨In addition, Napa Home & Garden has announced it will to a new and larger showroom at AmericasMart Atlanta, Building 2, 1210, at the Jan. 9-16 Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, January 8-16. The company also announced it will open a new permanent showroom in Las Vegas and continue to maintain its existing showrooms in Dallas and High Point.¨¨KC and I are very excited about resuming control of the company we started, said Jerry Cunningham, Napa Home & Garden CEO. We will be installing new, state of the art systems, expanding inventory levels and improving fill rates.
Cunningham added that Napa will utilize the large C&F warehouse facility in Newport News, Va., and be ready to fill orders in late January.
Napa will again be a family-run business, but with more show space, more products and better systems than we have ever had, Cunningham said.
The mission and the values of Napa are the same as ours, said James Fang, executive vice president of C&F Enterprises. We see a great future for Napa, with expanded growth, more innovation and irresistible product offerings.¨¨Were also very excited to premier our new Napa showroom in Atlanta, said KC Cunningham, Napa president and creative director. Buyers will now find us right at the bridge linking buildings 1 and 2 in AmericasMart. It is a fabulous location with lots of visibility.
Napa will introduce more than 400 new introductions in Atlanta and other showrooms.
Napa will host Showroom Celebration party at its new Atlanta showroom, AmericasMart, Building 2, 1210, on Saturday, Jan. 12, 5-8 p.m. Buyers can also enter a drawing to win numerous $500 merchandise credit prizes at the party.
January 6,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on January 7, 2013
The Port of Virginia has named case goods vendor Stanley Furniture Company its Shipper of the Year.
The award recognizes a company that has gone above and beyond the course of normal business to help the port grow both commercially and operationally. The Port of Virginia selected Stanley for the honor because of the companys effort to champion the ports new rail service to Greensboro, N.C., among steamship lines and other shippers, which has played an integral role in the programs success.
Stanleys support of our new rail service has had such a profound effect on the Port of Virginia that there was really no debate regarding what company would be named our 2012 Shipper of the Year, said Tom Capozzi, vice president of global sales for Virginia International Terminals, the operating company for the Virginia Port Authority. Our new rail line would never have the success that were experiencing today had Stanley not encouraged steamship operators to back the rail service. The brands work helped overcome some resistance to change within the shipping industry and allowed other shippers to better understand the benefits that accompany a new transportation method.
Stanley became one of the first companies to use the Port of Virginias Greensboro rail line, which began running in October 2011, after realizing that the service could improve supply chain efficiencies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the transportation of its furniture shipments from the port to the companys Martinsville, Va., warehouse facility. Prior to the launch of the service, standard container trucks carried Stanleys shipments the approximately 250 miles from the port, which is located in Norfolk, Va., to Martinsville; however, thanks to the new rail line, the company now depends less on truck transportation. Today, Stanleys containers travel by train to Greensboro and only the final leg of the route--roughly 50 miles from Greensboro to Martinsville--is completed via truck.
Although Stanley believed the new rail program would improve its overall supply chain efficiencies, the companys ability to utilize the rail line relied on the cooperation of its steamship partners, who had to make operational and pricing adjustments to accommodate the new service, said Capozzi. Stanleys negotiations with the shipping lines set a precedent that made it easier for other shippers to use the rail service, and as a result, our 2012 figures for the program have exceeded expectations.
In addition to helping the port establish the rail line as a viable transportation method, Stanleys use of the Greensboro rail service has had a positive impact on the companys fulfillment of product orders by enabling a more consistent flow of shipments to its Martinsville distribution center. The combination of benefits offered by the Port of Virginias proximity to Martinsville and the creation of the new rail line has reinforced that the Norfolk-based port is the best option for Stanley by ensuring that retail partners receive their orders as quickly as possible.
At Stanley, we are constantly looking for innovative solutions that will allow us to minimize costs and enhance our supply chain. Consequently, we pushed for the use of the ports Greensboro rail service because we thought it could make a major difference for our business and ultimately how we provide better service to our customers, said Steve Wolfe, vice president of global supply chain and logistics for Stanley Furniture. We are very pleased that our adoption of the new rail line helped Stanley stand out from the thousands of shippers that use the Port of Virginia each year, and it is an honor to know that the ports staff views Stanley as a true partner and collaborator that is worthy of the 2012 Shipper of the Year title.