July 11,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on July 12, 2012
The Specialty Sleep Association will host on profitable specialty sleep programs at retail during the upcoming Las Vegas Furniture Market.
The free event, open to market attendees, is scheduled for Wed., Aug 1, at 11 a.m., in World Market Center-C344.
An expert panel will share insider tips for successfully launching and managing one of the fastest growing product categories for bedding dealers today. Representatives from the SSAs retailer and manufacturing membership will review successful ideas and strategies for developing the right product mix, pricing, marketing, and RSA training, to improve sales and profits.
Recent statistics from ISPA and reports in Furniture Today indicate that 2011 specialty sleep mattress units jumped by 24.3 percent, with dollars growing to 29.4 percent from 25.2 percent in the prior year, said Dale Read, president of the Specialty Sleep Association. This is a hot growth category that both furniture dealers and bedding specialists want to be in on. Our market seminar will arm retailers with hands-on, how-to information, based on the collective experience from a diverse panel of speakers.
The panel includes the following individuals.
George Topping, vice president of merchandising at Innovative Mattress Solutions, Winfield, W.Va., is a 20-year industry veteran with both retail and wholesale experience. As a former vice president at Serta International, he created Serta University and The Serta Selling System. He has created training programs for Sears, JC Penny, and Levitz, as well as other industry education vehicles. His combined BBA in Economics and Finance from Marshall University, along with expertise in developing models for market analysis, qualifies Topping to consult retailers across the country. Innovative Mattress Solutions is the service provider for a 150-store sleep shop chain.
Jeff Klein, president, Sleep etc., Norwalk, Conn., grew up in bedding retail as his family opened their first Kleinsleep mattress store in New York in 1949. He was an early adaptor of European luxury beds and one of the first U.S. retailers to offer Hastens beds. Success with these products has led to a strategic distribution arrangement with Carpe Diem Beds of Sweden. Along with testing unconventional merchandising strategies, Klein attributes success to both customer and employee relations. His mottos include exceeding customer expectations and honest business practices.
Michael Nermon, president and CEO, Ergo Customized Comfort, Irvine, Calif., founded Ergo Customized Comfort after developing and manufacturing Power Bed technologies at Maxwell and Leggett & Platt for more than 20 years. After working with bedding companies in 33 countries, he has applied this extensive experience to the retail environment. Ergos unique, upscale approach has earned industry recognition. After receiving Specialty Sleep Retailer of the Year honors in two consecutive years, Ergo was presented with the inaugural Retail Giants of Bedding award by Furniture Today in 2006. Nermons exposure within the manufacturing and retail channels has given him unique insight into the benefits and advantages of advanced sleep products. He believes that higher standards and transparency are keys to success when marketing specialty sleep bedding products.
Dave Chandler, director of marketing for Innomax, has focused on innovation in sleep products for more than three decades, including years concentrated in the categories of flotation support, digital air, and memory cell technology. Chandler retains an in-depth understanding of sleep issues and the effects of proper sleep on the human body. He has been an active member of the SSA since 1991, and his unique perspective on the science of sleep and the technical development of sleep systems focused on sleep quality has helped many retailers and wholesalers expand their market share through effective product training, sales techniques, and marketing strategies.
Scott Smalling, chief of specialty innovation at Simmons, hails from a long line of foam manufacturing innovators that led him to create the ComforPedic specialty bedding line in 2003, one of the most successful specialty sleep product lines of all time. In 2007, he sold ComforPedic to Simmons, where he now serves to expand opportunities in the memory foam category with an emphasis on improved airflow, heat dissipation, temperature control, and faster recovery time. He works closely with Simmons dealers across the country to promote the brand and its core values of performance and innovation. From his roots at IR Specialty Foams to his current position, Smalling is an ardent supporter of specialty sleep products and their value to the savvy retailer.
Seating for the event is available on a first come, first served basis. Executives from the SSA, along with the organizations exhibiting members, also will be available throughout market dates in the Specialty Sleep showroom, located in building C, space 1350.
July 11,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in on July 12, 2012
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?z6817113418&z=1600249795
WHITEFIELD, NH Jointly owned bedroom furniture producers Brown Street Furniture and Vermont Tubbs suspended operations, citing financial difficulties from a lack of capital. Furniture Today reports the furniture operations, which produce hand-finished furnishings in oak and other species, is making an effort to recapitalize and re-open. Owner Kyle Tager told FT he is looking for a foreign investor under the EB-5 visa program, which offers U.S. citizenship to individuals investing in a U.S. businesses. Tager said such an investment would allow the plant to reopen manufacturing operations by the fall. The last 45 workers left the plant July
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July 10,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in on July 11, 2012
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?z6808079003&z=1600249795
Upholstered furniture maker Southern Motion has officially opened its Baldwyn plant. Click to Continue »
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July 10,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Business Strategy on July 11, 2012
from http://www.sunherald.com/2012/07/11/4056601/southern-motion-opens-in-baldwyn.html#storylink=rss
Upholstered furniture maker Southern Motion has officially opened its Baldwyn plant.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday.
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July 10,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Bedroom on July 11, 2012
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?z6811025826&z=1600249622
Canadian bedroom and dining furniture maker O-Palier has moved its finishing and assembly facility to Malone, N.Y., from Williamsburg, Ontario.
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