December 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Business Strategy on December 17, 2012
Home furnishings professional association WithIt will present Margaret Traub, CEO and president of Adesso Inc., with its highest honor during the 2013 WOW Awards dinner and ceremony in January.
The event will take place Sunday, Jan. 27, at World Market Center-Las Vegas.
Traub will receive the Founders/Lifetime Achievement Award for her commitment to the organization and its mission to advance the careers of female professionals in the home and furnishings industries. As one of the WithIt founders, Traub has performed an integral role in building the organization from nonprofit to professional network comprised of hundreds of professionals.
"Peggy's commitment to WithIt has no limits," said Betty Lyn Eller, 2013 WithIt president. "She provides invaluable counsel to the board, year after year, and she supports the organization's most vital initiatives, including, most recently, the relaunch of WithIt.org."
In addition to Traub's lifetime achievement honor, WithIt will formally present the 2013 WOW Awards recipients at the ceremony
The winners are:
* Legacy Award -- Kathy Ireland, Kathy Ireland Worldwide;
* Mentoring Award -- Wright Global Graphic Solutions;
* Education Award -- Cheminne Taylor-Smith, High Point Market Authority;
* Leadership Award -- Kim Knopf, Innovative Mattress Solutions; and
* Future Leadership Award -- Kiersten Hathcock, Mod Mom Furniture.
A cocktail reception begins at 6:30 p.m.; dinner featuring a menu by Todd Clore, an award-winning Las Vegas chef, and the awards presentation will follow.
Tickets are available for purchase online. Individual tickets are $150; a table of 10 is available for $1,500.
The 2013 WOW Awards are made possible through the support of International Market Centers, Palliser and Wray Ward.
December 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on December 17, 2012
Green Gables Furniture and Desert Digs Fine Furnishings will show together in a permanent showroom at the winter Las Vegas Market, Jan. 28 to Feb. 1.
The 2,347-square-foot showroom, located in space B-130, will feature an assortment of rustic-styled case goods and occasional furniture from the two companies. For the past several markets, Green Gables has been showing in a temporary space in the Lodge Living area, a 25,000-square-foot showcase for outdoor-inspired furnishings, including western lodge, Sante Fe and desert living styles. For Desert Digs, this is the first Las Vegas showing in a number of years.
Based in Bradford, Ill., Green Gables produces bedroom, dining room, occasional and game room furniture made of reclaimed wood from old structures. Designed by Tim Scott, collections feature an aged patina finish that highlights the character of the wood, with painted options also available on collections such as Old Century.
"Each piece is very unique," said Bob Rouse, owner. "Most of the wood we use was cut and put into use before 1910, and we've even used wood that was a sapling in 1750, before our country's birth."
Since 2008, Green Gables' workforce has grown from 18 to 64, and annual sales have tripled in 2012, according to the company, which was founded in 1989.
"We do a lot of business with rustic stores, but full-line furniture stores also are starting to incorporate more rustic furnishings into their product mix," Rouse said. "Our new Las Vegas showroom will enable us to show a much wider range of our product as we set out to expand our business with these new retailers."
The other company showing along with Green Gables is Desert Digs Fine Furnishings - a sales rep group based in Dallas. At the Las Vegas Market, Desert Digs will feature four rustic-oriented furniture lines: United Leather Western, leather sofas, chairs and ottomans with a western flair featuring the use of decorative conchos and tooled leather; Classic Forge, metal barstools with leather seats and dining and occasional tables in mesquite with iron bases and turquoise inlays; Blue River Traders, handmade desks, occasional furniture and barstools in alder and pine with hand-painted finishes; and Tahoe Rug Studio, hand-woven rugs for mountain homes, including rustic oriental rugs and transitional styles. In addition, Desert Digs also will feature home accents and accessories, including copper and brass wall art from JLT Studios.
"Our products are made in the Americas, with an eclectic, handmade quality that you can see and feel," said Terry Ayesse, owner of Desert Digs. "These styles are easy to mix and match with existing furnishings, which adds to their appeal."
December 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on December 17, 2012
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported that 41 consumers were killed in 2011 when televisions, furniture or appliances toppled over onto them.
That number is the highest recorded in a single year, according to the commission.
"We know that low-cost anchoring devices are effective in preventing tip-over incidents," said Inez Tenenbaum, CPSC chairman. "I urge parents to anchor their TVs, furniture and appliances and protect their children. It takes just a few minutes to do and it can save lives."
CPSC estimates that more than 43,000 consumers are injured each year in tip-over incidents. More than 25,000 (59 percent) of those injuries are to children under the age of 18. Falling furniture accounts for more than half (52 percent) of the injury reports. Falling televisions have proven to be more deadly, as they are associated with more than half (62 percent) of reported fatalities.
Some reports indicate that as families purchase or transition to flat screen televisions, older and often heavier televisions are moved into bedrooms and other rooms in the house, without the proper stand or anchoring device accompanying them. The report said that 40 percent of reported fatalities occurred in bedrooms and 19 percent occurred in living rooms or family rooms.
December 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Lighting on December 17, 2012
from http://www.giftsanddec.com/article/558320-Guildmaster_Indicted_for_Counterfeit_UL_Stickers_Files_Chapter_11.php?rssid=20941
Home furnishings supplier Guildmaster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday after being indicted earlier this week by the federal government on nine counts of selling lamps with counterfeit and otherwise unauthorized Underwriters Laboratories stickers.
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December 13,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Business Strategy on December 14, 2012
from http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/14/us-conns-coo-idUSBRE8BD16L20121214
Electronics and furniture retailer Conn's Inc. said it would reduce its dependence on consumer electronics and shift its focus to the higher-margin furniture and mattresses business to drive sales over the next few years.
"We expect (the furniture and mattresses business) to become over time the top revenue segment," Chief Operating Officer Mike Poppe said.
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