Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
October 5,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on October 6, 2011
Capel Rugs has named Dave Calderwood regional sales manager for its Midwest marketing area.
Calderwood is based in Akron, Ohio, and will manage Capel sales in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania. He formerly served as manager of area rug sales for a large Ohio furniture retailer and was a key sales and product developer for a large importer of hand knotted and tufted rugs.
Calderwood has been recognized as one of the area rug industry's best sales trainers. His knowledge of retail and wholesale markets will help him advance Capel's national dealer business.
"Dave's skills as sales person, combined with his experience as a sales trainer, make him a unique and valuable addition to the Capel team," said Capel Rugs Vice President of Sales Allen Robertson. "We are excited to now offer dealers in the Midwest region even greater support as Dave helps them increase their sales."
"I am very excited to pair my experience in sales and training with Capel's long tradition of creating beautiful area rugs," said Calderwood. "I am especially looking forward to working with Capel's strong network of dealers and helping them become even more successful."
October 5,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on October 6, 2011
Furniture industry veteran Celeste Coker Payne has joined Diana Parrish Design and Photography in the newly created position of account executive.
Her responsibilities include new client sales as well as extensive client liaison duties in the areas of interior design, photography and visual communications.
"As our company grows, it is important for us to have seasoned professionals of Celeste's caliber to help us grow the business and to help ensure that our clients receive their desired results with each and every project they bring us," said Diana Parrish, president and owner. "While Celeste joined us on September 6, she has already become an integral part of our business and creative process."
Payne has served the home furnishings industry for more than 20 years in a variety of capacities from interior designer to showroom leasing agent, showroom manager, sales representative, event planning and retail sales. She earned an AB degree in English from Duke University and has a degree from the New York School of Interior Design.
Established in 2008, Diana Parrish Design and Photography is a privately owned 39,000 square-foot commercial photographic studio located in High Point. The company's client base is made up of high-end home furnishings and related product manufacturers located throughout the United States.
October 5,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Acquisition on October 6, 2011
Clawson, Mich., retailer
Leon & Lulu is expanding with the purchase of a local movie house.
The Clawson Theater was built in 1941the same year as the roller rink that houses Leon & Lulubut the last film was shown in about 1962. Since then the building has been used as a warehouse, café and light industrial but has been vacant in recent memory. Plans for the 7,800-square-foot site include replacing the marquee and restoring the building for use as additional retail space for the retailer, as well as embracing the history and the spirit of The Show, as the locals called it.
Leon & Lulu opened April 1, 2006 in the 15,000-square-foot ambassador Roller Rink and has received national recognition for the adaptive reuse of that building. It still boasts the original floor, hockey scoreboard, disco ball and more than 300 pairs of skates that are used in the displays, and sometimes on the feet of the employees.
The theater will require massive renovation and retrofitting to regain the appearance of a classic downtown Main Street theater while providing a space for additional retail as well as a bakery café. The new store, as yet unnamed, is expected to open in spring of 2012.
My husband and I are delighted to bring another Clawson landmark back to life," said owner Mary Liz Curtin. "The theater will be a natural extension of the space we have now and give us more room for merchandise, charity events and, of course, lots of fun.
October 4,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Legal on October 5, 2011
High-end furniture vendor Habersham has won damages in a copyright infringement suit against Art & Frame Direct, World of Decor and related entities.
A jury award followed a federal trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Habersham, Toccoa, Ga., had accused the defendants of importing and distributing unauthorized copies of several of Habersham's most successful and original furniture designs, including its Valencia Dining Table, Belmont Bookcase and Central Park Bed.
"We are obviously thrilled with the jury's and Court's message--that the copying of original American furniture designs by others will not be tolerated--defending Habersham's commitment to distinctive high-end design. The jury's award of substantial damages in this case should put the copiers on notice," said Matt Eddy, president of Habersham. "We will continue to enforce our copyright and trademark rights to preserve the exclusivity that the Habersham brand has established with its heirloom quality furniture pieces."
Habersham's efforts to protect its copyrighted works and brand identity to date include the successful, amicable resolution of other infringement lawsuits, federal registration of its copyrighted ornamental furniture designs and trademarks, and the removal of unauthorized copies of its products, and infringers of its trademarks, from the listings of the online auction Web site eBay--and other private Web sites.
Eddy cautioned website purchasers to be careful in making purchases of Habersham-looking pieces over the Internet.
"From our efforts in enforcing Habersham's copyrights and trademarks over the years, we have learned that many of those high-priced, so-called Habersham products are actually inexpensive, poorly made copies," he said.
October 4,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Green on October 5, 2011
Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery Service has joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership.
SmartWay, a collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the transportation industry, provides a framework to assess and improve the environmental and energy efficiency of goods movement supply chains; and demonstrate environmental leadership and corporate responsibility.
As a member of the partnership, Secaucus, N.J.-based Cory will contribute to savings of 1.5 billion gallons of fuel, $3.6 billion in fuel costs, 14.7 MMT of carbon dioxide, 215,000 tons of oxides of nitrogen and 8,000 tons of particulate matter. Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, and nitrogen oxide is an air pollutant that contributes to smog.
Cory Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President Marin Dragojevic said Smartway fortifies the company's mission to provide quality delivery service to furniture, appliance, and furniture retailers nationwide.
"We are committed to delighting every customer with an exceptional service experience," he said. "A conscientious approach to serving our clients, their customers, and the communities in which we operate is integral to our identity. By reducing the carbon footprint of our fleets, we not only are following our moral imperative, but we are also extending a competitive advantage to the retailers we serve by aligning them with more environmentally aware consumers."
Developed jointly in early 2003 by EPA and Charter Partners represented by industry stakeholders, environmental groups, American Trucking Association and Business for Social Responsibility, SmartWay was launched in 2004. Partners rely upon SmartWay tools and approaches to track and reduce emissions and fuel use from goods movement. The partnership currently has more than 2,700 partners.