Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
October 23,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on October 24, 2011
The U.S. Department of Commerce has issued a 216.01% duty in its preliminary ruling on an administrative review of 2010 wood bedroom furniture shipments from China.
According to a Federal Register notice last week, Tube-Smith Enterprise received a preliminary separate duty rate of 41.75 percent. Fourteen companies, which were named in the initiation notice, failed to provide separate rate information and have been treated as part of the PRC-wide entity in the preliminary ruling. Those include:
* Dongguan Bon Ten Furniture Co. Ltd.
* Dongguan Grand Style Furniture Co. Ltd.; Hong Kong Da Zhi Furniture Co. Ltd.
* Dongguan Hero Way Woodwork Co. Ltd.; Dongguan Da Zhong Woodwork Co. Ltd.; Hero Way Enterprises Ltd.; Well Earth International Ltd.
* Dongguan Mu Si Furniture Co. Ltd.
* Hainan Jong Bao Lumber Co. Ltd.; Jibbon Enterprise Co. Ltd.
* Kuan Lin Furniture (Dong Guan) Co. Ltd.; Kuan Lin Furniture Factory; Kuan Lin Furniture Co. Ltd.
* Kunshan Lee Wood Product Co. Ltd.
* Leefu Wood (Dongguan) Co. Ltd.; King Rich International Ltd.
* Meikangchi (Nantong) Furniture Company Ltd.
* Nantong Dongfang Orient Furniture Co. Ltd.
* Shanghai Fangjia Industry Co. Ltd.
* Winny Overseas Ltd.; Zhongshan Winny Furniture Ltd.; Winny Universal Ltd.
* Zhong Shan Fullwin Furniture Co. Ltd.
* Zhongshan Gainwell Furniture Co. Ltd.
DOC also preliminarily found that Baigou Crafts Factory of Fengkai, Locke Furniture Factory, and Sunwin shipped subject merchandise during the period of review, despite their claims to the contrary. Those also have been assessed the PRC-wide duty rate.
October 20,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Delivery on October 21, 2011
Delivery company
Cargo Consolidation Services has added delivery of smaller furniture shipments to Ohio, Pennsylvania and the Northeast market to its offerings.
"For years, we have serviced the furniture industry by providing a premium consolidation and warehousing service," said Michael Sharpe, vice president and general manager. "Now, with our strong financial position, we will offer select service for those manufacturers and retailers left with few shipment options after the failure of multiple specialized carriers."
In addition to the expanded service offerings, the company has named Mark Setzer to its team of sales managers. Tom O'Hare has also joined the company to work with customers seeking furniture delivery solutions. O'Hare joins the company with 42 years of industry experience.
"We are proud to have Mark and Tom join our team, creating superior value logistic offerings for our clients," Sharpe said.
Cargo has also added shift and warehouse staff to its team.
October 20,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Acquisition on October 21, 2011
Full-line furniture vendor Lexington Home Brands has completed its previously announced deal to acquire Sligh Furniture.
At this week's High Point Furniture Market, Sligh will exhibit in a recently completed dedicated space on the second floor of the 100,000-square-foot Lexington showroom at 1300 National Highway in Thomasville.
Sligh is introducing Longboat Key, a soft contemporary collection of home office and home entertainment, as well as additions to the best-selling Northport collection.
"The new Sligh showroom is magnificent and showcases our product in a beautiful lifestyle manner, utilizing Lexington's upholstered and occasional product to complete the lifestyle display," said Rob Sligh, president of Sligh Furniture.
"We are pleased to have the transaction completed and look forward to growing Sligh as well as the other brands in the Lexington portfolio," said Phil Haney, president and CEO of Lexington Home Brands.
A privately held company, Lexington Home Brands is an affiliate of Boca Raton, Fla.-based Sun Capital Partners.
October 20,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Delivery on October 21, 2011
Import cargo volume at major U.S. container ports should rise 2.6 percent in October over the same month last year, according to the Global Port Tracker report.
The National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates produce the monthly report of retail container port activity. October traffic should reach its highest level of the year as retailers stock up for the holiday season.
"After a summer of trying to compare apples to oranges, retail cargo is back to normal," said NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold. "October is the historic peak of the shipping cycle each year, and retailers are bringing merchandise into the country on their usual schedule and at normal levels again instead of being forced to move cargo early. Retailers are poised to succeed in maintaining the careful balance between inventory and sales that keeps customers happy while keeping retailers profitable."
U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.32 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units in August, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was the same as July, but down 7 percent from August 2010.
The August figures followed year-over-year declines of 5 percent in June and 4 percent in July, but the statistics were skewed because of higher-than-normal numbers in 2010 when fears of shortages in shipping capacity caused many retailers to bring holiday merchandise into the country earlier than usual. Global Port Tracker counts only the number of cargo containers imported, not the value of their contents, so cargo volume does not directly correlate with retail sales. Actual retail sales were up during the summer, and NRF is forecasting 2.8 percent growth in holiday sales this November and December over last year, for a total of $465.6 billion.
Year-over-year cargo growth resumed but was weak in September, which was estimated at 1.37 million TEU, up 2.7 percent from last year. October is forecast at 1.39 million TEU, up 2.6 percent from last year, and is expected to regain its historical position as the busiest month of the year after last year's usual patterns shifted the peak to August. November is forecast at 1.28 million TEU, up 4 percent from last year, and December is forecast at 1.18 million TEU, up 2.7 percent. January 2012 is forecast at 1.16 million TEU, down 3.6 percent from January 2011, and February, traditionally the slowest month of the year, is forecast at 1.1 million TEU, down 3.8 percent.
The total for 2011 is forecast at 15 million TEU, up 1.8 percent from 2010. Imports during 2010 totaled 14.7 million TEU, a 16 percent increase over unusually low numbers in 2009.
"General economic indicators are giving us a mixed set of signals," said Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates. "Yet at the same time there are indications that things are not quite that bad. We are of the opinion that the probability for economic growth is higher than the probability of recession."
October 20,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on October 21, 2011
Eco-friendly fabric maker Crypton has launched CryptonHome performance fabrics for furniture and pet beds that repel stains and liquids, and fight odor-causing bacteria.
Crypton, West Bloomfield, Mich., has leveraged its 18 years of experience in performance textiles to bring the benefits of its fabric from the contract world into the homes of consumers. Crypton's products are found in restaurants, major hotel chains, offices and hospitals throughout the world, such as McDonald's, Hilton Hotels, PNC Bank and P.F. Chang's. Consumers can experience the new CryptonHome brand via partnerships with major furniture manufacturers, on the brand's new Web site and on Facebook.
"As 'living clean' became more important to Americans, we watched as our fabrics and products took hold in the residential marketplace, which rapidly grew to represent 30 percent of our business," said Randy Rubin, co-founder of Crypton. "With our expansion into homes across America, households, especially those with children and pets, can live comfortably without concern for spills and stains."
To further expand CryptonHome's product line, the company is partnering with several furniture manufacturers to develop upholstered pieces with unparalleled durability, cleanability and long-lasting microbial protection. Those furniture companies include American Leather, Century, Comfort Designs, Frontgate, Gloster, Hancock & Moore, Henredon, Jessica Charles, Kolcraft, Lazar, Rowe, Taylor King, Thayer Coggin, and Woodard. All CryptonHome products are made in the USA, using environmentally friendly processes.
To support the launch of CryptonHome, Crypton developed a new logo, as well as created the tagline, "Now You Can," which signifies that consumers can now have stain, liquid and odor-causing bacteria resistant sofas and furniture that is easy-to-clean right in their own home.
CryptonHome will be exhibiting with its partners at the High Point Furniture Market.