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Natura World, Target Team for Crib Mattress Line

By Home Furnishings Business in Youth, Juvenile Furniture on February 11, 2011

Natural and organic bedding producer Natura World will produce a new innerspring crib mattress line available at Target (NYSE: TGT), among other retailers.

Cambridge, Ontario-based Natura World will start manufacturing the four-SKU collection for Munchkin Inc. at its Wichita Falls, Texas, plant this month. The company anticipates producing around 300,000 units this year, which represents the first mattress offering in the Munchkin lineup of baby products sold at Target stores nationwide and Target.com.
 
Natura World President Ralph Rossdeutscher said juvenile bedding has been one of the bright spots in an industry beleaguered by a poor housing market and slow economy.
 
"No matter what economic climate we are in, families want the best for their children. With our deep-rooted expertise in natural and organic bedding, we worked together to create a new baby collection especially for Munchkin that features the highest quality materials available at value-oriented price points," said Rossdeutscher.
 
The Munchkin crib mattress line is crafted to provide maximum comfort and safety while minimizing the use of chemicals. The entire collection is free of phthalates, PDBEs, pesticides and dyes.
 
Each of the four models in the collection features Natura€™s innovative two-sided, reversible construction for greater value and durability. The Comfort Safe Classic and Comfort Safe Cotton Plus are designed for infants, while the Comfort Safe Cotton Ultra Comfort Safe Organic features a firm side for infants and may be flipped to a less firm side which is designed for toddlers.
 
The products are one of the first Natura lines to be produced at its new 478,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Wichita Falls, which increases the company's overall production capacity while decreasing shipping times in the United States. Natura's U.S.-based production joins the company's manufacturing operations at in Cambridge, Ontario.

4 Hands Chairman Hatton Running in Charity Marathon

By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on February 11, 2011

Lifestyle home furnishings vendor Four Hands' Chairman Brett Hatton will run his first marathon in the Livestrong Foundation fundraising race in Austin, Texas.

"This year I'm participating with Team Livestrong and a Four Hands team of about 20 employees," Hatton wrote in an e-mail. "Livestrong seeks to inspire and empower people affected by cancer, and with Team Livestrong I'm picking a fight with cancer and uniting with others who are interested in making cancer a global priority."

Hatton is dedicating his run to his "youngest aunt, who died two years ago after a long and painful battle, and to his friend and guide Phil Gable, who passed last year. Both of these people had a big influence on my life and it is my wish to honor their legacy."
 
The marathon is set for Feb. 20. Four Hands hopes to raise $10,000 for the fight against cancer with the Livestrong Foundation; and will match your contributions up to $2,500.
 
Click here to find out more and contribute.
 
Donations have to be Friday in order to count toward the goal. Contributions can be made after Friday but won't count for the Four Hands goal.

Brunschwig & Fils Auction Set for March 7

By Home Furnishings Business in Bankruptcy on February 11, 2011
A number of investors have stepped up and expressed interest in acquiring fabric supplier Brunschwig & Fils at a March auction.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January, and at that time, Kravet had placed a $6.5 million bid for Brunschwig & Fils. In addition, Kravet has agreed to provide financing to the company during this time of reorganization ensuring that Brunschwig continues as a financially sound trading partner.

Benjamin Capital Advisors, chief restructuring officer for Brunschwig in the Chapter 11 filing, said bids for the company are being accepted until March 3. The auction will be held March 7 at the offices of Halperin Battaglia & Raicht in New York.

KidKraft, Kids Only Get on Track with Thomas

By Home Furnishings Business in licensing on February 11, 2011 KidKraft and Kids Only, Inc. have partnered with HIT Entertainment to produce Thomas & Friends children's room décor and furniture.

Both lines will be available at mass retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada this spring.

KidKraft will develop a line of Thomas & Friends wood furniture including a toy box, toddler bed, table and chair set, and storage step stool. Kids Only will produce a variety of metal and plastic room décor and patio furniture products. This is the first time a line of patio furniture has been developed for Thomas & Friends.

€œWorking with KidKraft and Kids Only, Inc., we will be able to create lines of Thomas & Friends furniture and decorative accessories that capture the timelessness of the brand,€ said Gabriela Arenas, vice president of consumer products, Thomas division of HIT Entertainment. €œThe high-quality products will not only delight young Thomas fans, but will also please parents with their durability and modern classic designs.€

Thomas & Friends is the No. 1 preschool licensed property for the past 10 years in the US, according to the NPD Group. Thomas & Friends invites children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story.

KidKraft was established in 1968 and offers children's wood furniture, toys, gifts and room accessories.

€œKidKraft classic designs are a great fit for the Thomas & Friends brand, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with HIT Entertainment on this line,€ said Steve Lampert, CEO at KidKraft.

Kids Only offers a selection of children's patio furniture, room décor furniture and accessories and toys.

Bob Pagano, Vice President, Marketing at Kids Only, Inc. said, €œThe Thomas & Friends inspired room décor will enable Thomas the Tank Engine fans to take the No.1 engine from their TV screens into the coziness of their bedrooms," said Bob Pagano, vice president of marketing for Kids Only. "We look forward to working with HIT Entertainment on products that will let little ones imagine that they are living on the Island of Sodor with Thomas.€

WithIt Seeks WOW Nominations

By Home Furnishings Business in on February 11, 2011 The home furnishings industry€™s WOW Awards program, organized by WithIt, is now accepting nominations.

The annual awards honor the commitment, achievement, leadership potential and service of home and furnishings professionals and businesses.

This year, WithIt has added a new category. The Leadership Award will recognize a woman over 40 who has demonstrated successful leadership in her company, in WithIt, and/or in the home furnishings industry. As with all of the WOW Awards, nominees for the Leadership Award can be submitted by anyone in the home furnishings industry. A nomination form can be found online.

€œThe central tenet of WithIt has always been to recognize, connect, support and help to develop female leaders in the home furnishings industry,€ said Mary Leigh Howell, WithIt president. €œThe WOW Awards honor companies and individuals who support that goal and who have made strong strides in contributing to the success of this industry and the women in the home and furnishings field.€

The categories for nomination are:

* Legacy Award: For a woman who has made significant lifetime contributions to the home furnishings industry;
* Mentoring Award: For an executive or organization that has fostered advocacy, development or promotion of women in their company;

* Education Award: For an executive or company which has developed programs to educate associates, retailers or consumers about home furnishings;

*Leadership Award: For a woman 40 or over who has demonstrated successful leadership in her company, in WithIt, and/or in the home furnishings industry, and

* Future Leader Award: For a woman 40 or under who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and the potential to become an industry leader.

To qualify for an award, nominees must have at least five years of industry experience and demonstrate a significant impact on his/her company and/or the industry. Both WithIt members and non€members are encouraged to submit nominations by April 15.

Nominees must consent to the nomination prior to the submission of a nominating form. WOW Awards will be announced Aug. 24 at a dinner during WithIt€™s annual professional conference, which runs Aug. 23€25 in Raleigh, N.C.
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