Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
March 21,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on March 22, 2011
Robin Martinez has been named leasing manager for
Showplace Properties.
Martinez, who has more than 20 years experience in sales and marketing management, has spent the past seven years in the home furnishings and juvenile products industry. She was the owner of RM Consulting where she assisted various companies in business development. Prior to that, she was the publisher of
Kids Today magazine and regional sales manager for
Furniture Today.
We are fortunate to have Robin on our team, said Lisa Shankle, general manager for Showplace and Hamilton Properties. She has a strong and comprehensive understanding of the home furnishings marketplace. Her experience and passion for the industry will not only be good for our properties but good for the High Point market.
I am looking forward to being back in the true center of the home furnishings industry, Martinez said. Managing and building the relationships with current and new tenants are something that I plan to focus on with an innovative approach.
March 21,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on March 22, 2011
Home furnishings retailer Jennifer Convertibles has added consumer financing through
GE Capital Sales Finance to its portfolio.
GE Capital Sales Finance is a consumer lending unit of
General Electric Co.
(NYSE: GE).
Were excited to have GE Capital Sales Finance as our financing partner, said Rami Abada, president of Jennifer Convertibles. Their experience as a consumer lender and online account management capabilities will enhance the shopping experience for our customers. Partnering with GE Capital is a great addition to our business.
The credit program will provide Jennifer Convertibles customers with a range of financing options and benefits for their home furnishing purchases, including affordable monthly payments through deferred interest and extended financing terms, special cardholder promotions, and online account management.
GE Capital Sales Finance is one of the nations leading providers of consumer financing, with more than 75 years experience as a retail lender. More than one million businesses rely on GE Capital for their in-store financing programs. It is a leading provider of consumer credit programs in the home furnishings industry.
Jennifer Convertibles is one of the leading furniture retailers in the county, so its an honor to have them select us for their promotional financing program, said Paul Boeckman, vice president of sales, GE Capital Sales Finance. Our goal is to help them continue to provide the very best consumer experience possible.
March 21,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Green on March 22, 2011
Upholstered furniture maker Franklin Corp. has implemented the home furnishings industry's EFEC environmental management system at its Houston, Miss., facility.
EFEC--or "
Enhancing Furnitures Environmental Culture"--is a voluntary program created for the residential furniture industry by the
American Home Furnishings Alliance. Franklin implemented EFEC at the 1.1 million-square-foot Houston plant, which also includes the company's corporate headquarters.
To achieve EFEC registration, companies must: improve management of resources and raw materials; reduce energy and water consumption; reduce waste disposal and associated costs; and increase recycling efforts.
"Every viable business today is seeking ways to drive down costs in work processes and raw material usage," said Franklin Chairman and CEO Hassell Franklin. "It just makes sense to implement a program to measure and reduce (our) environmental impact. EFEC was tailor-made for not only reducing solid waste and water usage in our facilities, but also for increasing our employees awareness of environmental issues."
Since initiating implementation of the EFEC program at the beginning of 2010, the Houston facility has reduced its landfill waste by 14 percent despite working more hours in 2010 than 2009.
"We achieved this by reusing many items in our facility, recycling as many items as possible, and making a push to bale all scrap cardboard throughout the facility," said Carl Daniel, safety and environmental director and head of the EFEC management team. By baling 21 percent more cardboard in 2010 over 2009, the company not only reduced its waste-to-landfill but also generated recycling revenue.
"Franklin is also proud of its truck fleet's fuel economy," Daniel continued. "Our logistics department challenged our drivers to reach a 6.5 mile per gallon goal. New trucks with emission control systems designed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce the amount of exhaust were very instrumental in helping our fleet achieve their goal."
In 2011, the Franklin EFEC team is shifting its focus to energy consumption and exploring new ways to improve energy efficiency, as well as ways to reduce water usage.
"The most challenging part of our EFEC journey has been educating our employees," Daniel said. "We have over 1,200 employees here at Franklin, and educating them about EFEC proved to be a daunting task. However, we worked hard using handouts, weekly communication meetings, posters and even the recycling stations to give our employees an idea of the importance of being 'green' both at work and at home."
EFEC--which requires participants to make continual improvements in order to retain their registration--has been implemented at 50 different locations, including factories, warehouses and headquarters buildings, in 11 states.
March 21,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on March 22, 2011
Rug vendor Capel Rugs has promoted Tami Watras to vice president-product and creative director.
In this new position, Watras will oversee media messaging and advertising for Troy, N.C.-based Capel, as well as the overall creative direction for the company. In addition to her new responsibilities, Watras will continue to oversee product development and Capel's import division, which she manages in conjunction with Import Division General Manager John Harrison.
She reports to John Magee, president and CEO of Capel Rugs.
"We are pleased to recognize Tami's hard work and significant contributions to the company with this much-deserved promotion," said Magee. "Her strong leadership skills and sharp eye for style have made Tami an invaluable asset to Capel Rugs. As the company continues to grow, she will play an integral part in determining how the public perceives and interacts with the brand."
"We've worked hard the past year to bring a fresh perspective to our designs and to Capel's brand identity but were only getting started, the best is yet to come," said Watras.
Watras joined Capel in 2006 as a merchandising manager and most recently served as director of merchandising. In that role, Watras spearheaded Capel's New Style Point of View, which introduced a fresh style perspective for the company. She was also instrumental in securing a licensing agreement with Capels newest design partner, Kevin O'Brien Studios.
March 21,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on March 22, 2011
Outdoor furniture vendor Oxford Garden will make its
High Point Furniture Market debut at the the April 2-7 show.
Louisville, Ky.-based Oxford Garden will exhibit in the
International Home Furnishings Center's Pavilions on Main Three in space M-339. Oxford Garden also plans to show its products at the Oct. 22-27 fall show in the same location.
Oxford Garden President Randy Meek credits the timing to the increased interest from IHFC, casual furniture manufacturers and furniture retailers.
"Oxford Garden has made this decision to show at High Point because traditional furniture retailers continue to move toward adding casual furniture product to their stores," Meek said. "Oxford Garden's line of moderately priced outdoor furniture fits well into the product mix for many furniture retailers."
"We couldn't be more pleased to have Oxford Garden exhibiting in the Pavilions of the IHFC," said Tom Mitchell, IHFC president and CEO. "Outdoor producers can build their business with the furniture stores here better than anywhere else."
Family operated Oxford Garden seeks to provide quality, reasonably priced furniture for the outdoors.