October 15,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on October 16, 2012
Solid hardwood furniture maker Keystone Collections is debuting at High Point Furniture Market this week.
The 25-year-old company, which focuses on transitional styling with coastal and weathered finishes, is in space 1-638 of the Suites At Market Square in the Made-In-America Pavilion.
Keystone Collections is showing new products and new finishes, including eight new weathered finish packages, six new coastal paint colors, five new occasional design groups and the new Verona Dining Collection.
These finishes offer a fresh, stylish wardrobe to the market that is a natural fit with our already appreciated casual and transitional designs, said General Manager and Owner James Martin.
Based in the heart of Amish country in central Pennsylvania, Keystone Collections uses components grown and produced only in the United States, and every piece of furniture is assembled and finished in the USA. All furniture is backed with a Lifetime Guarantee on the materials and construction, and orders are acknowledged with guaranteed completion dates.
Keystone Collections specializes in offering full customization services from design to finishing based on any customer request.
October 15,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Retail Technology on October 16, 2012
Home furnishings retail technology specialist FurnServe is cutting prices in an effort to encourage small business growth, and in turn the economy.
FurnServe has slashed stand-alone license pricing slashed by up to 29 percent. Cloud license pricing has been cut by up to 26 percent.
These new prices are designed not only help new clients, but also to lower the maintenance fees of existing clients.
October 14,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in on October 15, 2012
from https://newsdesk4.moreover.com/click/?p=Qy83Mzk0MTY4NjA0Jm49TkFQQ08&a=MTE5OTI1MzAzOTE&f=TmV3cw&s=cmljaHhtbA&u=YWNyZW5zaGF3QG5hcGNvLmNvbQ&c=TkFQQ08&i=MA&e=QnVzaW5lc3NXZWVr&d=1989&t=1
Oct. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Retail sales in the U.S. rose more than projected in September, reflecting broad-based gains that indicate household spending helped bolster economic growth last quarter. The 1.1 percent gain followed a revised 1.2 percent increase...
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October 14,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on October 15, 2012
The Boyles Furniture retail brand is making a comeback.
A group of industry veterans, backed by Gene Rosenberg, have formed a join venture with Alex Hendricks and Chad Hendricks, owners of Boyles Furniture Brand, to create a retail presence in the mid- to high-end furniture sector.
The investment group, spearheaded by Mark Bannon, vice president of Planned Furniture Promotions, plans to leverage the known Boyles brand.
The new company, Boyles Brand Holdings, LLC, based in Hickory, N.C., with additional offices in Connecticut, has begun executing plans to open multiple Boyles Furniture & Rugs stores. In addition, the group plans other initiatives including offering a turnkey retail solution to current or prospective retailers throughout the country.
"For quite some time our executive team has been interested in opening a nationwide chain of mid-, high-end stores to fill the void left in this highly fractured market," Rosenberg said. "After meeting with the Hendricks brothers, it was immediately clear that the Boyles brand was the perfect vehicle to realize our team's vision."
Rosenberg is co-founder of Planned Furniture Promotions and Bob's Discount Furniture.
"Planned Furniture Promotions has been involved in all aspects of the furniture industry for 50 years and we're extremely impressed with the history, integrity and strength of the Boyles brand," Bannon said. "Our wherewithal and resources combined with the passion, knowledge and experience of all the partners creates a powerful collective, that will fuel the robust growth of the Boyles brand."
Chad and Alex Hendricks, sons of long time Boyles owner Larry Hendricks, acquired the brand and have been seeking the ideal opportunity to further expand the name on a national level.
"This partnership is a positive step forward for not only our company but our industry as a whole," said Alex Hendricks. "The economic recession that has adversely and disproportionally affected the furniture business is showing promising signs of recovery. We are all confident that this opportunity, with an incredibly dynamic team, will lead to significant growth of the Boyles brand. Also, this partnership will provide a positive impact on the distribution of the many great vendor brands that Boyles has been synonymous with over the past 50 years."
"This is the beginning of a very exciting growth period for our brand," Chad Hendricks added. "Stay tuned, we will be rolling out several exciting initiatives over the coming months."
The Boyles brand name is wholly owned, and all related divisions are wholly operated by, Boyles Brand Holdings, LLC, a holding company owned by industry veterans Rosenberg, Paul Cohen, Chad Hendricks, Bannon, Alex Hendricks, Burt Homonoff, Rob Rosenberg, Tom Liddell, Roy Hester and Jerry Cohen.
October 14,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on October 15, 2012
Three industry leaders have been inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame.
Joining the current 88 members are Howard G. Haas, former president and CEO of Sealy Inc.; Kevin M. O'Connor, president and CEO of Samson Marketing; and Melvyn L. Wolff, chairman of Star Furniture Co.
The international banquet was attended by retailers, buying group members, interior designers, manufacturers, suppliers and other foundation members.
"Every person on the slate this year is worthy so the selection process was particularly competitive, based on a vote by the membership combined with our points-based rating system of each nominee by the Foundation's Industry Fellow Selection Committee," says Randy Ford, president of the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation. "This new process looks throughout the industry, across all segments, to ensure the integrity of the honor. Each new member truly represents enduring excellence, superior accomplishments, innovation and creativity, and philanthropic generosity in their time, talents and resources."
Howard G. Haas, president and CEO of Sealy Inc. for 19 years, increased revenues from $32 million to $550 million without the acquisition of a competitor or supplier. He integrated a group of 34 independent licensees into a unified entity, achieving new efficiencies and consistency across factories in production and service. A leader and mentor to many in the bedding industry, three of his young executives now lead Simmons, Sealy and Serta. Under his leadership, in-store displays showcased Posturepedic bedding, sleep shops made their debut, and Sealy became the first bedding company to run national television advertising. A retired adjunct professor of strategic management at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Haas co-authored the book, "The Leader Within."
Kevin M. O'Connor worked his way up from sales representative to president of two leading furniture companies before launching Legacy Classic Furniture in 1999. Partnering with Samuel Kuo of Samson Holding, he developed a business model that enables customers to mix a wide variety of products on a direct-container basis with door-to-door service from China. This plan, now common throughout the industry, makes it possible for independent retailers to affordably source smaller quantities of imported products. Today, O'Connor is president and CEO of Samson Marketing, which includes Legacy and Universal Furniture. With a long track record of service to the furniture industry and community organizations, he has served in leading roles for the High Point Market Authority, the High Point Pre-Market, American Home Furnishings Alliance, the American Furniture Hall of Fame and the City of Hope.
Melvyn L. Wolff, chairman of Houston-based Star Furniture is credited with transforming a small credit-oriented, low-end store into one of the country's most successful retail furniture operations. With his sister, Shirley Toomim, he repositioned the company, founded by his father, to serve a more affluent customer. The company has consistently been a leader in creating innovative marketing strategies and display techniques ahead of industry practices. In 1997 he sold his company to the Berkshire Hathaway Co. The company has 750 employees in four cities and is now celebrating its 100th anniversary. Wolff is currently a member of the board of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and is an active industry contributor. His involvement includes the National Home Furnishings Association and numerous community boards.
Under the new selection system, the inductees were determined by the combination of a vote of the membership and a points-based rating system of each nominee by the foundation's Industry Fellow Selection Committee. The voting period began July 9 and ended August 3.