Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
April 10,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on April 11, 2013
Long-time home furnishings industry sales representative Jerry Cohen has packed up his bag and retired.
Cohen, who spent 53 years as a manufacturer's sales representative, retired April 1. He said he will not be at the upcoming Spring High Point Market "for the first time in more than half a century."
During his career, Cohen was a representative in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware territory. His company, Cohen Associates, includes his sons Stephen Cohen and Rich Cohen.
Most recently, Cohen was affiliated with Bassett Mirror Co. and John Thomas Furniture. Over the years, he'd worked with Bassett Table Co., Webb Furniture, Wambold Furniture, Kushwood Furniture and more.
April 10,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on April 11, 2013
The Universal Furniture team is at it again with a new video parody, but this time, the company's efforts will go to help raise money for the City of Hope.
The company, which did a parody of Carly Rae Jepsen's song "Call Me Maybe" last year, has come back with a video compilation of songs from the 1960s until present day.
Jeff Scheffer, Universal's president and CEO, lost a college friend to cancer last year and his friend's death was a wake-up call of sorts.
"Keith's funeral was beautiful - great stories, great music - a fitting tribute to a great guy," Scheffer said. "The reception afterward featured a video of the crazy, zany things he did at work. Keith had an unparalleled zest for life, and I returned home with a new perspective. Sure, work is serious business, but there's nothing wrong with having a little fun, too."
That was last year and the Universal team made its "Call Me Maybe" video. The response was incredible, so this year's video parody has a goodwill approach attached to it.
The company will donate $1 up to $10,000 for every view of the video to the City of Hope's fund-raising campaign.
"Although we're serious about creating good, affordable, smart design, we enjoy having fun together," Scheffer said. "In addition to benefitting City of Hope, creating the video was a great chance to lighten up and laugh."
Highlights of the video include a remake of the hilarious Wayne's World version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", some killer dance moves from Michael Jackson's "Beat It", graffiti art in Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby", a huge gambling win in the Universal showroom with Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" and some crazy guitar talent in Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know."
Watch the video online and help spend Universal's $10,000 wisely to help City of Hope with its medical research.
April 9,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on April 10, 2013
City of Hope is inviting High Point Furniture Market participants to join celebrity Kiefer Sutherland and industry leader Kevin OConnor as "Citizens of Hope."
City of Hope is part of 100-year anniversary and to raise more awareness for the institutions groundbreaking accomplishments as a global leader in the fight against cancer and more recently to find cures for diabetes and HIV/AIDS.
Citizens of Hope is a national campaign highlighting City of Hopes impact on communities and people across the nation. The research breakthroughs and treatment advances at City of Hope have to new options for patients and to overall progress against the life-threatening diseases of our time. The campaign itself offers an opportunity for people whose lives have been touched by illness to create a Citizens of Hope badge that shares their own personal message of hope and inspiration.
Participants in Citizens of Hope can make their own badge through the City of Hope Web site.
If everyone who attends the High Point Furniture Market would create a Citizens of Hope badge and give a donation at cityofhope.org/giving think how much more could be achieved and how quickly discoveries that start in the lab could turn into real treatments for patients, said Brittany De La Torre, City of Hopes director of development.
As a pioneer in bone marrow transplants, City of Hope has saved the lives of thousands of patients, achieving the best survival rates in the nation. Its scientists were the first to establish the link between exercise and a reduced risk of breast cancer. Four of the worlds top-selling cancer drugs-- and the synthetic human insulin used by millions of diabetics--were based on technology developed there. Its surgeons are national leaders in robotic surgery for urologic cancers.
Donations of $10 can also be made by using City of Hopes new text-to-give option; just text GIVEHOPE to 27722.
Every spring, City of Hope honors the furniture industry with its most prestigious philanthropic honor, the Spirit of Life Award. On April 21 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C., Michael Amini of AICO and the Goldberg family--Neil, Steve and Michael of Raymour & Flanigan--will receive the 2013 Spirit of Life Award recognizing not only their philanthropic achievements but also their outstanding business leadership.
For event information, sponsorship opportunities and tickets, visit the Spirit of Life Awards Gala page or contact Brittany De La Torre by phone 213.241.7168 or e-mail.
April 9,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in sourcing/importing on April 10, 2013
With Customs officials saying they hope to minimize the impact of federal spending cuts on cargo processing, import volume at the nations major retail container ports is expected to increase 2.7 percent in April over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
The impact of sequestration isnt yet fully known, but Customs officials are working hard to manage their resources and keep cargo moving, NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. Between their efforts to avoid delays and retailers adjustments to compensate, were not expecting consumers to see any difference on store shelves at this point. We are working closely with Customs to ensure that that remains the case.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection told businesses last week that federal sequestration cuts that took effect in March could still have a serious impact on the agency, including increased wait times for customs inspections at ports. But officials said recent passage of the Fiscal Year 2013 appropriations bill by Congress allows CPB to mitigate to some degree the impacts. Staff furloughs and cuts in overtime that were previously expected have not been canceled but have been put on hold.
NRF has been participating in weekly conference calls held by CPB leadership with key trade associations and making sure the agency is aware of retailers concerns and the impact sequestration cuts could have on the industry, consumer spending and the economy.
U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.29 million 20-foot equivalent units in February, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. With February historically the slowest month of the year, the number was down 2.5 percent from January but up 17.5 percent from February 2012.
March was estimated at 1.28 million TEU, up 2.6 percent from a year ago. April is forecast at 1.35 million TEU, up 2.7 percent from last year; May at 1.42 million TEU, up 3.2 percent; June at 1.42 million TEU, up 1.8 percent; July at 1.45 million TEU, up 1.5 percent, and August at 1.44 million TEU, up one-quarter of 1 percent from last year.
The first six months of 2013 are expected to total 8.1 million TEU, up 4.7 percent from the first half of 2012. The total for 2012 was 15.9 million TEU, up 3.4 percent from 2011.
Economic indicators continue to present a mixed picture of the prospects for the remainder of the year, Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. Sequestration does not help but on the other hand is not yet a major factor to take into account.
Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades and Miami on the East Coast; and Houston on the Gulf Coast.
April 9,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on April 10, 2013
Contemporary case goods vendor Casana Furniture, Winnipeg, Canada, plans to open a domestic warehouse in Martinsville, Va., this fall to serve the North American market.
Since its founding six years ago, the company has been shipping direct containers from its factories in Vietnam and Indonesia. The 60,000-square-foot warehouse will open the company's line to a broader range of retailers, according to Roger Friesen, president and CEO.
Plans call for holding inventory for up to 10 bedroom collections domestically based on analysis of retailer interest and the need for direct-container customers to fill in around existing purchase orders. Domestically inventoried product will address retail prices ranging from $1,699 to $2,499 for a bed, dresser, micro and nightstand.
"Our customers are currently able to source mixed containers from inventory we keep in our overseas factories," Friesen said. "But this new domestic facility will open our line to retailers not ordering direct containers, or to those that want to try out our products before committing to container orders."
Friesen said early response to the strategy has been positive with the company's styling addresses the trend to cleaner and more transitional looks.
"Retailers have asked us to do this for some time, and we're pleased we could make it happen," he said.
Shipping from the warehouse will begin in September.