2013 Deans of IHFRA Named

March 26, 2013 by in UnCategorized

By Home Furnishings Business in Special Events on March 27, 2013

The International Home Furnishings Representatives Association has named the 2013 winners of the Charles B. Costar Dean of IHFRA Awards.

The Dean of IHFRA Award recognizes quality of service and dedication to IHFRA and the Chapter. The recipient has set an outstanding example for others to follow. The award was renamed in 2007 to the Charles B. Costar Dean of IHFRA to honor Costar, a longtime member and officer of the organization. This award is in recognition of Costars dedicated service and loyalty to the representatives group.

Pat Lee has been in the furniture industry for 44 years. He is an active member of the Virginia/Carolinas Chapter of IHFRA and the local Piedmont Furniture Club in High Point. Lee successfully completed the Certified Home Furnishings Representatives course to hold the CHR designation, and has been a furniture sales representative for 40 years, representing Braxton Culler and Universal Furniture during that time.

Gary Silverman has been a member of IHFRA for 39 years and a member of the Home Furnishings Representatives of Michigan Chapter of IHFRA for the past 34 years. He has served on the HFRM Board since 2007 and as HFRM Treasurer since 2010. Silverman has been with The Coaster Co. for the last 11 years and represents other lines. Previously, he was with Peoplounger for 18 years, and served as vice president of sales for 10 of those years. He is an avid golfer in his leisure time.

Harry Bassett worked in the home furnishings industry for almost 40 years and was a sales representative for Magnussen Home Furnishings, Simon Li, and Jackson/Catnapper Furniture. He was an active member of the North Central Chapter of IHFRA before he recently passed away from pancreatic cancer. Bassett was a Native American and served on many boards and committees on behalf of his Fond u Lac Reservation in Cloquet Minn. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. Both of his sons, Christopher and Bryan, are in the furniture industry and will accept Bassett's award in his memory.

Rick Aaronson is an active member of the Greater Metropolitan Furniture Association. He served as President of the GMFA predecessor organization Metropolitan Furnishings Association. He and his partners, Tony Bellarosa and Chris Clarizio, cover metro New York, New Jersey, southern Connecticut and the Hudson Valley for Klaussner Home Furnishings. Aaronson started his furniture career at Eclipse Sleep Products, serving as regional sales manager for National Mattress Co., and was vice president of sales and marketing for Deville Furniture.

David Marcus is a veteran professional selling to the furniture industry. He is a member of the Midwest Chapter of IHFRA and serves as vice president of his Chapter. Marcus was president of Harris Marcus Home for many years and is now an independent representative for various companies including Acme Furniture, Anthony of California, Armen Living and D.R. Kincaid.

Robert Petril is an active member of the Tri-State Home Furnishings Association. He came to furniture design from an extensive furniture background including sales and management with top American and Italian industry leading companies. His experience ranges from the technical abilities of an upholsterer in his young days, through the skills of a salesman and top-rank manager, to a deep knowledge and great contact with the consumers world. Roberts latest design collection was recently introduced by Lazar Inds.

Mark Cisneros has been in the home furnishings industry since 2002. He is an active member in the Home Furnishings Representatives Guild of Southern California, and currently is serving his second term as a vice president on the Board of Directors. Cisneros was introduced to the furnishings industry by the Burton family, who are a third generation furniture family. He is currently a sales representative covering southern California and southern Nevada territories for Robert Michael Ltd., USA Premium Leather Furniture, and Uniters NA.

Awards will be presented at the 79th annual IHFRA Presidential Gala at the upcoming Spring High Point Furniture Market. The Gala will be held on Friday, April 19, at the IHFC Ballroom on the 11th floor of the Green Wing of the International Home Furnishings Center.

For more information on the IHFRA Presidential Gala, contact the IHFR Office at 336.889.3920 or e-mail. Reservations can also be made online.

Web4Retail Rolls Out Fusion Marketing

March 26, 2013 by in UnCategorized

By Home Furnishings Business in on March 27, 2013

Web marketing company Web4Retail has a new marketing program that marries Web design, social media, e-mail marketing and more for home furnishings companies.

The Fusion Marketing program is a new concept for the furniture industry, said Denise Keniston, president of Web4Retail.

"It fuses different aspects of web marketing into a single, cohesive, and highly-effective program," she said, adding that Fusion uses all aspects of online marketing to capture an online audience.

"We created the Fusion Marketing concept to achieve concrete results for our clients, and to establish accountability in the Web marketing arena," Keniston said. "Our home furnishings retailers can count on us to perform, to get them a growing online customer base and to do it in a way they can track their marketing dollars. Our clients tell the story best."

Lombard's Fine Furniture, Columbus, Ohio, recently transitioned to the Fusion program.

"We've had such a great experience with them so far," said Lombard's Trent Heer. "We know Fusion will deliver for us in a way we can understand and appreciate. As a furniture dealer, I like that there are clear measurable deliverables, and that I can see real results. It's not your typical ambiguous online marketing plan."

One of the key marketing features of Fusion is the ability to build an online audience, Keniston said.

"If you follow the steps laid out in the Fusion Marketing program, then Web4Retail guarantees clients will acquire an online audience of 10,000 or more over the course of a year," she said. "We began the first phases of this new program earlier in the year and already many of our current clients have signed on. Fusion Marketing allows furniture dealers to establish clear-cut goals, and to set benchmarks for web marketing success."

With Fusion Marketing, Web4Retail intends to keep clients involved and aware. "Fusion isn't a behind-the-scenes process," Keniston said. "Retailers appreciate the collaborative effort from start to finish."