Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
June 24,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on June 25, 2012
Canadian furniture and bedding protection vendor Caber Sure Fit will debut at the July 30-August 3 Las Vegas Furniture Market.
As part of its recent expansion into the United States, Caber Sure Fit will launch its DreamSerene line of mattress and bedding protection in the Specialty Sleep Association space, World Market Center C-1350.
DreamSerene includes two trademarked features--Allergy Shield and exclusive Wet Block Technology, a breathable stain and waterproof barrier--to guard against allergens, bed bugs and water damage. DreamSerene encasements also feature the companys patent-pending DreamSeal designed to stop bed bugs from entering and exiting the mattress or box spring where the zipper meets the fabric. The line is offered in a variety of fabrics made from terry, bamboo and eucalyptus, and uses a step-up model of value, good, better and best product categories to address a range of consumer needs.
This is an exciting time in our companys history. Caber Sure Fit has become Canadas leading brand for furniture protection products and we plan to replicate that success in the United States, said Markham, Ontario-based Caber Sure Fit President and CEO Bernard Weinstein. As we enter into a much more competitive market, our key strategic advantage is our innovation. The DreamSerene brand is the result of a $1 million investment in research and development to create a complete line of unique protection products.
June 24,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on June 25, 2012
Lifestyle home furnishings retailer Crate and Barrel will unveil its 3D Room Designer developed in partnership with NedSense in its stores this week.
The retailer plans to roll out consumer Web and iPad versions at a later date.
The Crate and Barrel 3D Room Designer-winner of the Moxie Award for Best Corporate Digital Innovation-is a furniture and design tool that converts a customer-supplied digital photo of a room into a 3D room model-eliminating the step of recreating a floor plan. It allows customers to transform their space using 3D models of Crate and Barrel merchandise, trying out different products, materials and colors, pairing them with current furnishings, and ensuring the products will work for them and their space prior to purchase.
"At Crate and Barrel we continue to invest in the latest technical tools that enhance the overall shopping experience," said John Seebeck, vice president of ecommerce for Crate and Barrel. "Through the 3D Room Designer our customers can discover and explore the many decoration solutions Crate and Barrel offers for their home."
Customers can bring in or e-mail room photos to the store and with only two measurements-height of the room and the width of an object on the wall-the Crate and Barrel 3D Room Designer will transform the image into a 3D environment. With the help of store personnel, and with just the touch of a mouse, customers will be able to see product in their room, remove objects from it, play with fabric and color options, and change their room's layout. Store associates are then able to export photos of the designed rooms and e-mail them to the customer.
More than 2,000 Crate and Barrel products are incorporated into the 3D Room Designer, including items from the current furniture collections and key furniture accessories, viewable in all materials and fabrics available.
To further enhance the customer shopping experience, Crate and Barrel 3D Room Designer will be incorporated into the Crate and Barrel Web site this fall and added to the company's iPad version in early 2013.
June 24,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on June 25, 2012
Mooresville, N.C.-based Merinos Home Furnishings made a $5,000 travel grant to the Mooresville South Iredell Chamber of Commerce's international hydrogen railroad project.
In 2003, the U.S. Department of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with Mooresville's Chamber of Commerce to promote alternative fuel vehicles. The chamber put its emphasis on railway vehicles-and that has made all the difference.
The chamber's work became the Mooresville Hydrail Initiative, which has received support from 15 countries, the European Commission and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. Mooresville coined the name hydrail now used around the world to describe the new green rail technology.
All this activity has entailed considerable international travel. Volunteer Stan Thompson has made invited hydrail presentations across the USA and in Canada, Denmark, England, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Turkey.
Until now the travel cost has come from the pockets of the Chamber volunteers working on hydrail. But recently Turkish-born Chamber Member Michael Bay, owner of Merinos Home Furnishings, donated $5,000 to help fund travel.
"If the chamber from a town this small can reach so far at least we can help make the stretch a little less difficult," Bay said.
Bay is a sustainable energy advocate who is making his mammoth Merinos retail facility a showcase for energy conservation. When an Istanbul-based agency of the United Nations invited the chamber to bring the project there, they sought out Bay for protocol guidance.
The Chamber's hydrail project, mounted since 2005 in cooperation with Appalachian State University, consists mostly of convening annual International Hydrail Conferences around the world where scientists and engineers pursuing hydrail (fuel cell railroad technology) meet to exchange expertise and support. In 2010 the UN co-hosted the conference in Istanbul.
The first use of Bay's Chamber gift will fly Appalachian State's Research Analyst, Jason Hoyle, to speak at the University of Birmingham, England, where the 2012 International Hydrail Conference will be convened on July 3 and 4.
Stan Thompson and former Mooresville Mayor Bill Thunberg will also speak at the Hydrail Conference hosted by the University of Birmingham's Centre for Railway Research and Education.
June 24,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Business Strategy on June 25, 2012
Phil Haney, president and CEO of Lexington Home Brands, has taken on the additional role of CEO of fellow Sun Capital Partners' brand Rowe Furniture.
Haney has named Bob Choppa, president of Rowe, and Craig Spooner has been named chief operating officer.
Stefanie Lucas, former Rowe president, will assist Haney and his team in the transition before leaving to pursue other opportunities.
"Rowe Furniture is a tremendous company with a great heritage, a company rich in talent and fortunate to have great dealers and industry supply partners," Haney said. "Our goal is to return Rowe to its industry leading position of style, quality, value and service for which it is famous and to do this through exciting new products and merchandising programs."
Rowe will remain an independent company with separate headquarters, manufacturing facilities, showrooms and sales organizations, according to a company release.
"We want to maintain the distinct culture and heritage of Rowe and build on a great history of success and mutually profitable relationships with our dealers," Haney said.
June 24,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on June 25, 2012
Stefanie Lugar has been named account manager of Home Furnishings Business.
Prior to joining the Home Furnishings Business, Lugar was a pharmaceutical representative with GlaxoSmithKline in Roanoke, Va. She has more than 19 years of sales experience.
In her new position with the magazine, Lugar will work with potential advertisers to create and manage effective advertising campaigns in the magazine and online at HFBusiness.com.
In her spare time, Lugar enjoys volunteering at a local no-kill animal shelter where she assists with fostering animals awaiting adoption, conducting fundraising events, grooming animals and other needed networking. Lugar shares her home with three rescue dogs and one rescue cat. She also enjoys biking and traveling.
Lugar reports to Trey Whitehead, publisher of Home Furnishings Business.
"We are excited to have Stefanie join Team HFB," Whitehead said. "Her proven record in sales and relationship building will serve the magazine and our business partners well. We look forward to her enthusiasm and the experience she brings from outside the furniture industry."
Lugar can be reached at slugar@napco.com.
Tracy Johnson, former director of digital publications, is no longer with the magazine and will be pursuing other interests.