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July 19,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on July 2012
Bringing jobs home and made in America are themes that politicians are big on touting in the wake of the recession.
President Obama even hosted Lincolnton Furniture CEO Bruce Cochrane in the White House, praising his company for creating jobs in the United States. And while he had a nice time, from his comments at the Home Furnishings Industry Conference in May, it was clear Cochrane believed the president was playing to the electorate.
Imports have come under fire for safety and federal compliance reasons, but of late it seems a lot of folks think theyre un-Americaneven as they wear a shirt made in China or drive a car made in Korea.
And while its unlikely the furniture industry will want to put itself through another anti-dumping struggle, the governments been known to take import-limiting action on its own.
A HOSTILE CLIMATE
Were in a climate thats hostile to imports, said Erik Autor, vice president and international trade counsel for the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C., which keeps a particular eye on products that carry high duties such as textiles, apparel and footwear. The Obama administration talks about domestic manufacturing and how its hurt by imports. Thats reflected in their stance on trade negotiations like those for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
(Autor was referring to the multilateral free trade agreement whose purpose is to liberalize the economies of the Asia-Pacific region.)
Its not part of the Obama administrations trade policy to make it easy to import, Autor continued. To the extent folks in the administration talk about imports, its usually preceded by words like illegal and unfair.
Jerry Epperson, managing director, Mann Armistead & Epperson, Richmond, Va., noted that many retailers are keeping the import issue in front of consumers.
We have stores making a competitive statement selling American-made product, he said. Take the Amish furniture coming out of Ohio. It is a lot bigger than many of us realize. Its solid wood, its very nice and its helping fill some of those retailers slots.
He noted that Made in the USA has been a strong promotional theme for upholstery manufacturers.
For 15 years, all you could say is imports are showing gains, and now theres some divergence, Epperson said. People feel the fact that domestic manufacturing is growing is a positive sign.
ALL HAT NO CATTLE?
Despite its public stance, there might be more bark than bite in the Obama administrations position on imports.
While theres a lot of anti-import rhetoric, there hasnt been a lot of movement, Autor said. The rhetoric and the reality dont necessarily jive.
On one hand, he hasnt wrought a lot of damage, aside from the (duties on tires from China in 2009). I think he would prefer to do nothing on trade policy, because I dont believe he thinks its a political winner.
Autor called the administrations stance on negotiations such as the TPP the illusion of having a trade policy. While it hasnt taken a lot of actual anti-import action, he added that Obamas words do have an impact on the publics opinion of what is the lifeblood of many consumer-goods categories.
His rhetoric is disappointing and sets an anti-import tone, he said. It validates the popular but incorrect view that imports are just bad.
Imports actually create millions of jobs, and not just at retail. You have transportation, dockworkers and many others who depend upon trade and imports for their jobs.
He added that U.S. manufacturers often have to import components for the goods they sell overseas and that domestic producers can compete without regulating free trade.
Manufacturing wages have rolled back in this country, and labor rates have risen significantly in China, he noted. Transportation costs have further offset Chinas labor advantage.
KEEPING WATCH
Autor had been hearing rumblings of other furniture-related anti-dumping actions, but that seems to have settled down. He noted that the wood bedroom anti-dumping petition ended up with mixed results when it comes to increasing domestic products share of the U.S. market.
The really significant manufacturers in China dont pay as muchif anyduty, he said, and thereve been significant modifications to the extent of the duties through scope reviews and sunset reviews.
In his experience, Autor said trade cases are usually counter-cyclical.
When the economy turns south, you see an uptick in trade cases, but Ive been surprised at how few thereve been the past few years, he said. I think the reason is that most companiesbig or small, agricultural or manufacturingoperate in a global supply chain, so its against their interest to put big limits on importing. HFB
July 19,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on July 2012
Domestic manufacturers believe retailers looking to keep inventories under control and rising production costs in Asia have created a window of opportunity for their products, particularly in case goods.
Last year, domestic wood shipments increased 2.5 percent, while imports fell 2.2 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. While the first quarter of 2012 saw import wood growth of 5.8 percent outstrip domestics 2.3 percent growth, last year marked a change.
And vendors are gearing up to meet anticipated increase in demand for domestic goods. In January, bedroom furniture maker Vaughan-Bassett announced an $8 million investment in its Galax, Va., manufacturing operation aimed at increasing capacity by 50 percent. And at April High Point Market, American Drew introduced three collections under its Heritage Home umbrella, each with bedroom slated for production in the United States.
BEHIND THE NUMBERS
Jerry Epperson, managing director, Mann Armistead & Epperson, Richmond, Va., said the domestic gains were impressive because imports were so strong the year before.
In 2011 we saw domestic gains in wood and upholstery that exceeded import growth, but the year prior import wood was up 14 percent and import upholstery was up 13 percent, he said. If you look at the fourth quarter, (import) upholstery was already bouncing back.
In upholstery, Epperson noted China still dominates leather.
The Chinese own the leather market except for the high-end or custom business, which mostly remains with Italy or the U.S., he said. Theyre making the long production runs with leather. Seventy percent of total Chinese upholstery here is leather.
He thinks U.S.-made wood shipments will continue to grow, but its going to be mainly the re-emergence of existing facilities and filling production there versus opening new factories.
Upholstery isnt as capital intensive as wood, and you can open an upholstery plant pretty quickly, he noted. It doesnt have a lot of the OSHA and EPA rules wood has.
RETAILERS TAKE
With so much wood production going offshore in the past decade, can retailers count on a steady stream of domestic goods? It hasnt been a problem at Acton, Mass.-based Circle Furniture.
Our niche has always focused on domestic goods, said Richard Tubman, CEO. Ekornes would be the big exception.
As a higher-end retailer, he noted that Circles at an advantage when it comes to sourcing domestically.
In the better end, we have a lot of Vermont and New Hampshire manufacturers that are small but have very good product, Tubman said. If we went after lower price points, we would have a harder time filling the floor. To at least some of our customers, and hopefully a lot, made in America is very important.
Imports might dominate middle price points for wood, but cash-strapped retailers at those levels such as Woody Whichard at Midtown Furniture & Mattress Superstore are taking a harder look at domestic goods.
There are two reasons, said Whichard, owner of the Madison, N.C., store, and one has to do with the front end.
The consumer is coming in asking where the products made a lot more than they did six years or so ago, he said. They make a point of asking our salespeopleits a lot more important to them now. A few years ago, everyone was doing well and as long as the price was right we were all happy. Things are tougher now, and there really is a sense that they want to keep things in America.
And domestic is easier on Whichards pocket book and easier to flow.
On the back end, right now I cant afford to buy in containers, Whichard said. Bringing in 10 or 12 of one suite just isnt feasible for a one-store operation.
Also, I havent been able to free up the capital to make that big purchase, and lately the pricing hasnt been much better.
Two years ago, an import suite comparable to a Vaughan-Bassett group wholesaling for $800 had a landed cost of $550 for Whichard. Landed containers of those groups now run him $600 to $650.
Hes seen similar increases for Midtowns imported promotional goods, where the extra cost has a bigger impact on margins than more expensive product.
The domestic producers have maintained their price structure while the imports are increasing, Whichard said. I have lower overhead on storage with domestic goods. Vaughan-Bassett has no minimum order, and our minimum for Harden is $1,200. Right now cans are costing me $12,000 to $15,000. The turnaround on domestic cases is two to three weeks, and import turnaround is 45 to 90 days.
That said, Midtown doesnt carry a whole slew of domestic case goods.
Vaughan-Bassett is the only (domestic case company) Im using at my middle price points, he said. Theyll retail up to $3,699 to $3,899 for suites. I use Harden on my promotional endthose groups retail around $499.
GEARING UP
Lincolnton Furniture, Lincolnton, N.C., has developed a niche in solid wood furniture using traditional joinery produced on state-of-the-art machinery. President and CEO Bruce Cochrane likes the companys prospects. He believes domestic producers have a chance to steal a march as importers adjust to changes in Asian source countries, which he sees as a factor driving his business right now.
China has moved away from offering generous incentives to produce for western markets, he said. Theyre focused on their domestic market.
A burgeoning consumer market in China also will increase competition for capacity elsewhere, he added.
Chinese consumers are going to be buying products from other countries in Asia, he said.
While Cochrane acknowledges a lot of production is moving out of China, theres a learning curve.
If you take all the countries in Asia, they still have maybe one-fifth the capacity of China; and those other countries arent going to have the kinds of incentives you used to see in China, and Chinese workers are the most productive in Asia, he said. Plus, when you have products moving from one country to the other, there an opportunity for miscommunication is high. You have the makings of a product engineering nightmare. Dont get me wrong, so people have figured that out, but a lot of others are having to shift quickly.
Ralph Scozzafava, CEO of Furniture Brands International, St. Louis, doesnt know how much more imported product the market can absorb.
Weve reached a point with case goods where were at a saturation point of products coming in from other countries, he said, though he added that going back to domestic market share levels of a decade ago probably isnt in the cards.
FBIs Drexel Heritage and Hickory Chair divisions, in particular, rely considerably on domestic case goods; and Scozzafava added that wood line has a domestic component, and Broyhill still has some domestic cases.
He noted that big companies such as Ashley and Ethan Allen still makes a lot of case goods here.
Why? The supply chain is the big piece, Scozzafava said. You can manage your production, and you can control your inventory levels much more easily.
He noted advantages in the store, as well.
As a retailer, you dont have to tie up all that money in inventory, and you dont face as many discount issues in getting rid of product that might not have sold, he said. If you can free up your cash and get a better margin, thats good for a business.
BARRIERS TO GROWTH
While theres been an uptick, there are limiting factors on domestic case goods growth.
Were essentially limited to the capacity in the remaining factories, Epperson noted. People like Vaughan-Bassett, Linwood and Lincolnton Furniture will grow into their capacity. You have to remember Vaughan-Bassett didnt close some of their capacitythey mothballed it, ran enough through to keep their permits open.
Once that capacitys used, youll have to see if its economically feasible to build new green-field plants, and I dont see that happening.
Its just not easy to build a new case goods plant. Thats one reason Jack Hawn, president and CEO, Zenith Global Logistics, Conover, N.C., hasnt seen a big increase in the amount of domestic wood his company handles.
I am familiar with a company that was looking at building a new wood factory, but the permits were too complex, he said. We arent seeing any big gains in wood.
Patrick Smith, national sales manager at Watkins Shepard, echoed that take.
Domestic case goods production has seen very little increase and in our opinion that will continue unless some of the strict regulatory issues are relaxed enough to make domestic manufacturers more competitive, he said. On the other hand, Domestic upholstery production has increased due to a number of reasons, i.e. ocean transportation cost increases, time to market and consumer awareness and desire to buy Made in America items when available.
Cochrane at Lincolnton Furniture believes the biggest drag on increased domestic production is that furniture remains a category not many lenders are willing to bet on.
The greatest barrier is access to capital, which is almost impossible considering the oversight of banks these days. They have the money to loan, and thats how they make their money, but its difficult to make a loan for a start-up (furniture manufacturer).
What we need is a cohesive government program to address these issues, be that through grants or loan guarantees. States like North Carolina are more aggressive from a grant opportunity standpoint with things like the Golden Leaf Fund.
Environmental requirements also demand extra training. Integrating water-based finishes into the manufacturing process, for example, demands a lot more from sanding operation for the finish to take.
Theres a learning curve there, and you have to figure it out, Cochrane noted. Finishing companies, for all their technological ability are still figuring that out themselves.
COUNTER PUNCHING
Peter Giorgio Jr., president of Global Logistics Solutions, Madison, Conn., coordinates shipping for several large retailers, and he believes offshore vendors arent taking their increased costs sitting down.
Certainly the recent increases in ocean freight have created an environment where bottom line margin is noticeably affected, he said. This impact most definitely has caused every buyer to at least consider other options. Those options involve looking at production from other overseas origins and domestic warehouses/USA production.
To be honest, I have not seen any reduction in import volume for the accounts I am involved with, Giorgio added. In fact, since last Market I have seen new vendors coming into the mix with my accounts and therefore have to assume the buyers have found aggressive pricing for these imports that offset the rise in transportation/material costs.
Domestic producers that have built a niche, though, have pretty decent prospects at the moment.
Retail isnt that great right now, but we still have a good backlog, Giorgio said. Its a great marketing template ¦ and American workers are the most productive in the world.
You couple that with strong manufacturing processes and state-of-the-art machinery, and thats a game changer. HFB
July 19,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on July 2012
If you liken U.S. vendors commitment to sourcing in Asia as a marriage, it might need a little couonseling, but dont expect a divorce.
If you look at it as the action in a singles bar, though, a lot of importers are looking for other people to date.
The dance card is getting spare in the furniture industrys quest for low-cost labor. A journey that began way back when in the United States Upper Midwest and Northeast took a long, sustained turn South to North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Mississippi. That was just the beginning.
Mexico came next, then a gradual progress through Asia. Now, the world has gotten a lot smaller in terms of new frontiers for sourcing furniture, especially when it comes to seeking cheap labor.
Africa? Political turmoil in many countries there makes that continent an iffy proposition as an immediate destination. India? While theres potential, it will take a few more pioneers along the lines of a Paul Maitland-Smith to develop the subcontinents full potential as a source for the North American market.
THE LONG HAUL
Government policy, especially in China, rising labor rates in some countries and increased ocean freight costs have taken some bloom off the Asia romance, but the furniture industry is too committed to back out, according to people who handle a lot of shipping for retailers and vendors alike.
I guess I would say that rising material costs and transportation costs happening together have most likely eliminated the butterflies in the stomach type excitement for Asia imports, said Peter Giorgio Jr., president of Global Logistics Solutions, Madison, Conn. But the marriage is far from over. I am certain that most buyers have at least looked at U.S.A. production landed costs versus import landed costs for categories where margin has been compromised recently. I would think that there may exist some opportunities for U.S.A. purchases from those vendors with excess inventory to be advantageous short-term.
But Asia factories and owners are very resourceful and will find new locations where FOB price will continue to be a huge benefit for importers.
The marriage may be losing some of its romance but dont expect a divorce anytime soon, said Patrick Smith, national sales manager at Watkins Shepard.
The biggest (Asian) advantage still lies in reduced production cost and less regulatory issues as compared with western nations, he said. There may be some juggling of production from plants within the Pacific Rim, but China will continue to dominate the manufacturing base until other countries develop the infrastructure to support significant rebalancing.
At Zenith Global Logistics, President Jack Hawn hears customers grouse about higher shipping costs from Asia, but hasnt seen much slow down in sourcing interest there.
I dont see people saying I wont source in Asia because shipping costs increased, he said. They complain about it but that hasnt kept them from sourcing in China or Vietnam.
Zenith, which recently negotiated rates for the next 12 months, is only slightly higher on base rates for shipping containers this year, but right now it sees bunker charges (for fuel cost fluctuations) up $230 per can.
CHINA SHIFTS GEARS
Chinese government policy, an exodus of much bedroom production in the wake of the imposition of antidumping duties, and rising labor costs are driving some fairly dramatic shifts among Asian source countries.
The Chinese government has said theyre looking for higher-paying, cleaner industries, said industry analyst Jerry Epperson, managing director of Mann Armistead & Epperson in Richmond, Va. Those traditional manufacturing sectorstextiles, furniture, toys, apparelare seeing the hand-writing on the wall as far as getting a lot of government support going forward.
For new factories, theyll have to be farther inland, and that doesnt work well for furniture, shipping all that wood to the interior. Thats where things like toys are going, though.
Look for a similar trend in Vietnam.
It is a couple of years behind China in wanting cleaner, higher-paying industries, but thats coming, Epperson said. That will lead to people considering Indonesia, Malaysia more so than they would have five or six years ago.
SWITCHING PARTNERS
And those other countries are stepping up to grab the opportunity, Epperson added, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia.
Theyre building an infrastructure that allows them to be more competitive from a logistical standpoint, he said. You also have to remember that the Indonesians, Malaysians, even the Filipinos, have more raw materials at hand than either China or Vietnam. And India is growing. The numbers are just now beginning to come in, but I think youll see India come on strong.
In upholstery, its still tough to beat the Chinese. I think theyre around 45 percent of wood, and 75 percent of upholstery imports (in the U.S. market).
Also, the rush to Vietnam in reaction to duties on Chinese wood bedroom furniture has helped importers learn more about relocating production quickly.
With bedroom furniture and the high duties imposed, at least for my clients, I saw very little reduction in bedroom furniture imports as all that happened was the origin shifted from China to Vietnam, Giorgio said. The shift of production happened very quickly and overall there was very minimal interruption in the flow.
I see that similarly happening in todays environment of higher overall costs that will force the factories to search out lower overhead origins and continue competitive pricing advantages over USA production. Additionally the huge increases in ocean rates will be short-lived as capacity increases and shippers negotiate lower rates.
The movement to Vietnam that began with the antidumping duties has continued for more categories, said Hawn at Zenith Global.
About a year and a half ago we saw a trend of more people going to Vietnam from China. You had the bedroom tariffs, plus labor shortages, strikes, rising material costs (in China), he said.
Tighter labor supply and increased wages in Vietnam are having an effect, as well.
Were seeing a huge pick-up in Indonesia. Its laborthey moved to Vietnam, and now theyre moving to Indonesia, he said. And Indonesia is blessed with better species of wood than either Vietnam or China.
MANAGING THE FLOW
With the sheer distances involved, it hasnt gotten much easier to manage the flow of goods from Asia. Hooker Furniture, for example attributed a first-quarter decrease in sales in part to out of stock positions after it shifted production of some goods from China to other countries.
Supplier service is a growing issue at Furniture Brands International, too.
The long supply chain is always hard to manageyour mistakes are bigger, your lead times are longer and you need better projections, said Furniture Brands CEO Ralph Scozzafava. The rewards are typically low-cost case goods, but there are some issues there now. Service levels from Asian suppliers have been more challenging. Theres been more movement among source countries in the Asian supply chain; labor increases have had an effect there; and every year you have the Chinese New Year you have to work around.
He said FBIs been in pretty good shape regarding product flow.
We have a supply team in Asia thats very good and thats been in place a long time, but you always have to keep your eye on it, and you always have to make good decisions on how much to get, Scozzafava said. We were talking case goods just now, but its the same with cut-and-sew kitsyou always have that lead time.
Chinas still a great place to get goods, and there are others that are getting better. Vietnams improved a lot, and so has Indonesia.
That said, FBI took steps to make sourcing life a little simpler when it opened its own cut-and-sew facility in Mexico about a year ago, producing mostly for Broyhill and Lane.
Why? First, it shortens the supply chain, Scozzafava said. The products only three or four days away. Second, theres good expertise there.
Epperson also cited activity south of the border.
Mexicos been making some nice gains, he said. FBI, La-Z-Boy and Ethan Allen are showing that cut-and-sew works well there versus Asia. HFB
July 19,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on July 2012
Amid the din of bedding ads and circulars trumpeting the latest BIG SALEand aggressive selling tactics that greet consumers in many mattress storesone Washington state retailer has found success with a decidedly laid-back philosophy.
Northwest Sleep Solutions, a single-store bedding retailer based in the historic Fairhaven section of Bellingham, Wash., has quietly grown its business by being the antidote to the hard sell. Store owner Scott Caseria and his co-owner wife LeAnn wouldnt have it any other way.
Enter the Mattress Zone
Since the Caserias opened their store in 2008, they have yet to advertise a sales promotion. In our five years in this location, we have never had a sale, not once, said Scott Caseria. We just dont do that. Were careful not to use the word salewell use savings. People save money buying here, even though its a pretty store, but were not going to mislead people. If were going to mislead people in our advertising, I would assume that they would think I would mislead them once they get here, so were just not going to go there.
That doesnt mean the store doesnt promote aggressively. We do a lot of advertising, Caseria said. I do a lot of radio spots. Were always pounding the idea that the straight scoop is what youre going to get here. ¦ We did a cute Twilight Zone commercial saying Youre entering the Mattress Zone, where the laws of mathematics do not apply.
Were trying to be the voice of sanity, he added. The advertisings just gone out of control on beds, and its almost become a joke, where 10 percent off 25 years ago was a legitimate dealnow, if youre not 80 percent off, youre not in the game. The ridiculous thing is, no one is 80 percent off, they just say they are and its very frustrating, so we dont do that.
Scouting Missions Encouraged
The low-key tone of Northwest Sleep Solutions ad campaigns is reflected in the sales approach consumers will encounter upon entering the store.
The first thing we do is make you feel that its OK to be just looking, Caseria said. Weve coined a little phrase here we call scouting missions, and you can just see the walls come down from the people. There are people that come in that truly are just looking, but there are also people where thats their first statement, because they want to fend you off. We just say We encourage scouting missions, we want you to take your time, youll make a better decisionthats why were here.
The places I ran for other people before, if you didnt sell them that first day, you never sold them. Our average customer is
in here two to three, sometimes four, times before they buy, and the idea is making them comfortablethat its OK to learn something about what youre going to sleep on for the next 20 years.
Realizing the Dream
Caserias interest in bedding had its origins in his days as a student. I actually lived across the street from a furniture store, he recalled, and I wanted a job as a truck guy, or something part-time while I was going to college. For some reason, the owner of the store thought that I would make a good sales guy. ¦ It went pretty well, and about a year later I was managing the store. ¦ My favorite part of that was always the bedding.
So I bounced around a few other stores, but all the time, in the back of our heads, we wanted to have our own sleep shop. We had a certain way we wanted to do it, and so the opportunity came up where a lot of the good lines came to me and said Youve got to open your own store. Id always wanted to, and I said, You know what? If we know we have the right lines going in, things that I want, were going to do it. So thats, in a nutshell, what happened.
The Good Lines
Caseria has been very selective in choosing the lines and models to sell in his store. We carry Simmons, he said. In the foam world, we carry a natural latex bed. In synthetic foam, the only one Im going to carrybecause its the only one Ive had any luck withis Tempur-Pedic. Weve carried them 10 years, and weve never had a warranty call. Thats amazing. Tempurs been fantastic for us, it really has. Well sell one, and the next thing, the (customers) neighbor or brother will come in and buy one. ¦ What we get is customer referrals. You treat people right and they take care of you.
Steady Growth
Northwest Sleep Solutions has enjoyed consistent growth since openingeven in a tough economy. They say it always take a couple of years to make a profit, Caseria said. We were making a profit in our third month. Then, when the market crashed, we didnt see anyone for two months. ¦ Suddenly we were in a spot that we werent expecting to be, but the store has survived and grown 25 to 30 percent each year.
While it may seem logical to expand into more stores, Caseria said hes in no rush. Im not a guy that really wants to have a huge chain of stores, but there are times I think, if the right location popped and we found the right people to run it the way that we want it run, theres always a chance that we could go someplace else. But this little store here, were going to keep.
Caserias main ambition for his family-owned operation is to keep it in the family: Ive got a son who does our delivery and warehouse work since we opened. Id love for him to probably take this over some day. HFB
July 18,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Mattresses on July 19, 2012
The International Sleep Products Association will host a panel of retailers, manufacturers and recyclers at Las Vegas Furniture Market to discuss mattress recycling.
The educational session, titled, Mattress Retailers and Manufacturers Beware: Are You Prepared for 50 Different State Used Mattress Recycling Laws? is set for Tuesday, July 31, 3-4 p.m., in the World Forum on the 16th floor of World Market Center Las Vegas's Building B.
The panel will provide information about various bills that state legislatures across the country are considering to regulate the recycling of used mattresses. ISPA believes that these programs are inefficient and expensive, and that a national recycling program is the only cost-effective and efficient solution for mattress manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike. In addition, the panelists will share their views on existing mattress recycling efforts as well as their thoughts on how the proposed state programs will affect the industry.
Individual states are attempting to deal with the issue of mattress recycling on their own, said ISPA President Ryan Trainer. Unfortunately, the different solutions proposed so far will burden retailers, manufacturers, and most importantly, consumers with new obligations that will unnecessarily increase costs and could limit product choices and competition. The result could be a patchwork of 50 state laws that impose different and possibly conflicting mandates on retailers and manufacturers.
According to Trainer, ISPA continues to believe that the best approach to recycling used mattress materials efficiently is to create a national recycling program. This will eliminate state-by-state differences in rules, and encourage the economies of scale possible with a uniform national program, which will result in more efficient recycling and lower costs.
The panel of speakers, which represents manufacturers, retailers and recyclers from the mattress industry, includes: Doug Guffey, president of Sleep Inc.; Barrie Brown, owner of Sleep. You Deserve More; and Joe Paviglianti, principal and co-founder of Spare Our Landfills.
Product Management Alliance Executive Director Daniel J. Connelly will moderate the panel.
All industry members attending Market are encouraged to attend the panel discussion to learn more about this increasingly important issue which will directly affect the mattress industry.