Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
March 26,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on March 27, 2012
Mike Root has been elected the 74th president of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association.
Root, president of Omaha, Neb.-based Furniture Sales of Mid-America, has been active in the Association for the past four years, helping drive membership and rep benefits to make IHFRA one of the most dynamic sales rep organizations in the country.
He is a third generation furniture representative with past experience in retail, rental, and wholesale; and his company, Furniture Sales of Mid-America, is a furniture wholesale and rep company servicing retailers in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states and this year celebrates its 50th year in business. Root works with his father, Emmet Root, who started the company and still is quite active after 50 plus years on the road.
FSMA's top lines currently represented include Hughes Furniture, Progressive Furniture and Woodcrest Manufacturing. Within the past year Mike also partnered with another past president of IHFRA, Bob Bruns from Cozzia Massage Chairs to help launch a nationwide sales force for Mega Motion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pride Mobility. Mike indicated he never would have had this opportunity had it not been for his involvement and connections made as a member of IHFRA.
Root writes the Rep blog for Furniture Today as well as the New Media Marketing articles for Furniture World magazine; and is on the CQRID board for the Interior Design Society and is a newly elected board member of the National Home Furnishings Association.
Joining Mike Root on the IHFRA Executive Committee are: 1st Vice-President Christopher DeLisa, Greater Metropolitan Furnishings Association; 2nd Vice-President, Matthew Keepers, At-Large Member; Secretary/Treasurer, Frank Lorenzo, Florida Home Furnishings Representatives Association; and Chairman of the Board, Mark Scharff, Greater Metropolitan Furnishings Association.
The IHFRA Executive Committee will be sworn in at the IHFRA Presidential Gala on Friday, April 20 at the IHFC Ballroom on the 11th Floor Design Center. For more information contact IHFRA at 336.889.3920 or e-mail. Reservations can be made online.
March 26,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on March 27, 2012
Patrick O'Brien has joined luxury mattress brand Pure Latexbliss to lead sales for the southeast division.
O'Brien joins Pure Latexbliss, Atlanta, with more than 16 years of experience working for leading mattress brands. Prior to joining Pure LatexBLISS, O'Brien served as a key account manager for International Bedding Corporation. Before IBC, he worked at Spring Air from 2003 to 2007 as vice president of sales. From 1999 to 2003, he worked as a key account sales manager at Serta, where his team reached a $50 million sales goal in just 18 months. After graduating college in 1995, O'Brien began his sales career in bedding as a marketing representative for Simmons, eventually becoming territory manager.
"We are thrilled to welcome Patrick to the Pure Latexbliss family," said Pure Latexbliss Co-Founder and CEO Kurt Ling. "His extensive industry insight and experience, as well as his strength in cultivating both relationships and new business, makes him the ideal person to help grow one of our largest sales divisions."
March 26,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Internet on March 27, 2012
Online retailer Edenvale Shoppes has completed migration of
SimplyPendantLighting.com to its in-house e-commerce platform.
Edenvale is currently working through an expansion of its product assortment after purchasing several companies, including Simply Pendant, in last year's fourth quarter.
The company said Simply Pendants move from Yahoo Merchant to Edenvale's in-house technology will result in a 15 percent increase in conversion.
"With the addition of the Barnes & Wagner organization to the Edenvale Shoppes family in 2011, we knew we would see fantastic results in the migration of their Home Lighting and Fireplace Web sites to our e-commerce platform," said Jesse Akre, Edenvale Shoppes president and CEO. "We saw an immediate increase in consumer page views--time spent by the visitor on the site, as well as a substantial drop in the bounce rate associated with search; thus resulting in an immediate increase in conversion. The customer now has the ability to view more products with less effort--translating into positives for both parties."
Since Edenvale launched its first patio furniture site in 2003, it has grown to include more than 40 e-commerce sites using its own proprietary technology.
March 26,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Green on March 27, 2012
Buhler Quality Yarns Corp. has been awarded
Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification indicating that its Supima cotton, MicroModal and MicroTencel yarns have been tested and determined to be free from more than 300 substances that are potentially dangerous to humans.
Buhler earned the most stringent Class I level Oeko-Tex certification for textile products that may be used in baby products. Oeko-Tex Class I textile products are held to rigorous specifications and the certification has been recognized by the US Consumer Products Safety Commission as complying with the requirements of the Children's Product Safety Improvement Act legislation.
"Our premium cotton yarns are used in many apparel and textile markets," said Werner Bieri, CEO of Buhler Quality Yarns Corp. USA. "Oeko-Tex certification is recognized across the board as a symbol of superior textile safety and quality. Our customers appreciate that we stand behind our products and voluntarily test them with an independent third party."
March 25,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on March 26, 2012
Leslie Keno and Leigh Keno, the twins of antique appraisers fame, will be the keynote speakers of the American Society of Furniture Designers at its annual High Point Market dinner Monday, April 23.
"We are thrilled to announce that once again we will have a remarkable keynote presentation during our annual Spring High Point Market dinner," said Dudley Moore, president of ASFD.
The dinner will be held at the High Point Country Club.
The Keno brothers will share their indepth knowledge of fine furniture and design. On their recent Fox TV series "Buried Treasure", the duo mixes the thrill of reality television with the lure of unearthing hidden treasures hidden for generations in American attics.
Their enthusiasm has invigorated the once staid antique furniture industry. Leigh Keno is the owner of Keno Auctions in New York City, and Leslie Keno is senior vice president and director of American Furniture and Decorative Arts at Sotheby's in New York. Together, the brothers wrote "Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture". In 2010, Leslie and Leigh designed their first Keno Bros. collection for Theodore Alexander.
In addition to their furniture knowledge, the Keno brothers are passionate about vintage and historic automobiles; they both serve as judges at the famous Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance auto show. Together, the brothers participated in the Louis Vuitton Classic China Run, driving 1,000 miles from Dalian to Beijing. They are active in online discussions about vintage cars and auctions. While they take big risks on antique purchases, including a $730,000 purchase for a Chippendale highboy sight unseen, racing million dollar sports cars against each other is a different risk entirely.
The Kenos have been referred to as the "Indiana Jones Twins" of the furniture industry. The brothers use their extensive knowledge of antiques to seek the world for hidden treasures. They enjoy the adrenaline rush of taking big risks financially-as well as on the racetrack.
To purchase tickets, non-ASFD members may call Christine Evans at (910) 576-1273 or e-mail her.