Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
June 12,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on June 13, 2012
Full-line furniture vendor Lexington Home Brands has promoted Katrina Peed Patton to senior vice president of product development, a new position.
She reports to Phil Haney, president and CEO. Formerly, she was vice president of product development for the company.
In an industry where product innovation remains the principle driver of growth, Katrina has demonstrated a remarkable ability to draw inspiration from style, fashion, color and consumer trends--translating them into extraordinary furniture designs, said Haney. The significant growth that Lexington and our dealers have experienced over the last several years has been, in large part, due to the creative talents and energy of Katrina and her product development team. This promotion is
well-deserved recognition of her exceptional contribution.
Patton joined Lexington Home Brands in her product development role in 2006 after holding executive-level positions at Royal Patina/Progressive Furniture, Michael Thomas and American Drew, as well as having been a buyer for Strawbridge & Clothier. She began her career working as a designer for her father, renowned home furnishings designer Jim Peed.
During her tenure at Lexington, Pattons product development team, in conjunction with the global sourcing group, has virtually reinvented the companys product line across the Lexington, Sligh and Tommy Bahama brands. That combined team was also responsible for developing product for the Henry Link Trading Co. brand in 2011 as well as the contemporary Aquarius brand, which made its dramatic debut this past April at High Point Furniture Market.
Katrina has an amazing capacity for developing fresh and innovative product over a wide array of styles, said Top 100 retailer Jerry Baer of Baers Furniture in Pompano Beach, Fla. "She is a great listener and observer, with an exceptional eye for design elements that resonate with consumers. Lexington is the number one vendor in our 15 stores because their product sells. Katrina is a great asset to the industry, our company and certainly to Lexington.
June 12,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Special Events on June 13, 2012
Tickets are available for WithIts 15th Anniversary Celebrity Gala, which will celebrate its nurturing the careers of women in the home furnishings industry.
The Gala will be held Saturday, July 28, 7:30-11:30 p.m. at Parisian Palace, a famed mansion in Las Vegas located at 6150 Palmyra Ave. The evening festivities will include regional food-and-wine pairings directed by celebrity chef and sommelier Chef Quattrocchi, a silent auction, on-camera interviews with HGTVs Lori Dennis, and entertainment by acclaimed opera singer Marco Antonio Verela and the Women in Music and Arts Foundation.
In addition, WithIt and the Design Leadership Network will present the Las Vegas Woman's Leadership Achievement Awards, a recognition program that honors Las Vegas industry professionals who make significant contributions to the furniture and design industries. The recipients are: Dana Andrew, vice president of marketing, International Market Centers; Beth Schwartz, editor, Luxury Las Vegas magazine; and Andrea Thomas, owner of Thomas Design Source and scholarship director for NEWH The Hospitality Industry Network.
Las Vegas is the perfect backdrop for WithIts Anniversary Gala, and we purposefully timed our celebration as a kick-off event to the summer Las Vegas Market, said WithIt Regional Vice President and Gala Chairperson Kassie Smith, Kassie Smith Lifestyle Group. WithIt members, directors, ambassadors, governors and sponsors deserve this unique and luxurious celebration to honor our organizations achievements, as well as exemplary professionals committed to the West Coast design scene.
Gala tickets are $75 for WithIt members and $100 for non-members and guests. Access to a VIP clubroom, which will offer blackjack, champagne tastings and hors doeuvres, is available for an additional $25 per person. A limited number of tickets will be sold; WithIt recommends reserving a ticket(s) prior to the event here.
Gala sponsors include Cresent Fine Furniture, Ekornes, Furniture Today, HGTV Home, Las Vegas Design Center, Lexington Home Brands, Liz OBrien, The Media Matters, PROFITSystems, Rowe Furniture, Woolrich, and Wright Global Graphic Solutions.
For more information, including sponsorship inquiries, contact Sara Lyke at 336.880.2188; or Kassie Smith at 702.378.2276.
June 12,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on June 13, 2012
Canadian furniture and bedding protection vendor Caber Sure Fit has set its plans to expand operations into the U.S. market.
The Markham, Ontario-based company, which recently announced that industry veteran Mark Dentale will lead sales in the United States, will launch its DreamSerene line of mattress and bedding protection products for the B2C market and its BedCare lineup of commercial bedding protection for the B2B market.
Caber Sure Fit is known for its use of innovative technology in manufacturing quality products, eye catching point of sale displays, and providing superior customer service, said Caber Sure Fit President and CEO Bernard Weinstein. Over the past decade, our company has become Canadas go-to brand for furniture protection products designed with the consumer in mind. Once our partnership with Protect-a-Bed ended, we took the opportunity to expand into the United States. Were excited as we begin this venture and seek to partner with retailers to provide their customers with health and quality sleep products.
The companys two most popular brands, DreamSerene and BedCare, will be the first introduced to American retailers and consumers. Based on consumer input for a larger merchandise mix, the DreamSerene collection features value, good, better and best product categories to address a range of consumer needs and provides participating retailers with RSA training and a resource materials package.
Offered in a variety of fabrics made from terry, bamboo and eucalyptus, the DreamSerene brand includes a lineup of protectors and encasements for the consumer market. Caber Sure Fit will also introduce a smaller portfolio of BedCare products for the business-to-business market. Both series use the companys innovative technologies to guard against wear and tear, allergens and bedbugs.
June 11,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Internet on June 12, 2012
Groovystuff has redesigned its Web site and it goes live today featuring social media streaming, a University Hall products gallery and a featured product of the week window.
The site emphasizes a more modern and versatile approach to the market with bold colors and graphics along with a new navigation menu highlighting product pages.
The site includes more than 270 items in 24 categories for indoor and garden applications; 120 items with dealer pricing of $99 or less; more than 150 new items and more.
"The new Web site was engineered specifically to meet the demands of the expanding Internet market, and makes Groovystuff more accessible to the global audience of retailers and interior designers searching for a reliable source of sustainable home furnishings," said Chris Bruning, principal of the company."
The site' will be constantly updated with live social media content and new product releases giving retailers and interior designers real time point of purchase information to help close more sales, he said.
June 11,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Delivery on June 12, 2012
Home furnishings logistics and transport specialist Zenith Global Logistics has opened a new White Glove Home Delivery hub in Louisville, Ky.
The facility will service the Louisville and Cincinnati areas.
This latest addition to our U.S. home delivery hub network supports brick-and-mortar and e-retailers looking for cost-effective, timely high quality service in their final mile of order fulfillment, said Jack Hawn, president and CEO of Zenith Global, Conover, N.C. Theres nothing more personal in the shopping experience than stepping foot in the customers home, and retailers are realizing that the experience during home delivery can make the difference in gaining repeat business. Our teams undergo extensive and rigorous training in proper furniture handling, knowledge and care. They are friendly, reliable and come to the consumers doorstep presenting a professional appearance.
Hawn said Zenith's ability to meet or exceed consumers expectations on behalf of retailers begins well before their team arrives and the shoppers home.
We maintain a thorough deluxing process in our facilities, he said. Our home delivery specialists inspect all case goods drawers and doors, color match all coordinating items, wipe down and polish surfaces, and foam protect and blanket wrap each piece. Upholstery is inspected for fabric defects and pattern match, then air-hose cleaned to remove residual packaging. Skirts are steamed and prepped before delivery.
Since 2009, Zenith Global Logistics has opened eight regional freight and home delivery hubs throughout the United States, including Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Virginia and Kentucky. Last year it expanded its North Carolina storage and handling capacity by more than 30 percent through the acquisition of the former Boyles Furniture facility in Conover as its new corporate headquarters. In April it expanded its fleet with the addition of 25 regional and OTR trucks plus 50 trailers.
Internationally, the company services the continental United States and multiple points in Asia with warehousing, consolidation and full/split container programs. Domestically, the company owns and operates its own truck fleet as well as transportation hubs and more than 3.5 million square feet of warehousing, including facilities in Southern California, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. Zenith Global provides national home delivery service to all points in the United States through a network of company-owned delivery operations and local market providers.