January 19,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Store Openings on January 20, 2011
Art Van Furniture will set a milestone Saturday when it holds grand openings for three furniture stores in one day.
This weekend, Art Van, Warren, Mich., will celebrate the grand openings of new stores Auburn Hills, Petoskey and Onaway.
"This is not only a high point for Art Van Furniture," said Art Van Elslander, founder and chairman of Art Van Furniture. "It's also a milestone for the U.S. furniture industry. I can't recall any American furniture chain grand opening three stores in one day."
The 44,000-square-foot Auburn Hills store, Art Van's first mall location, features a new lifestyle center court showcasing Art Van's four styles: Contemporary living, Casual living, Traditional living and Rustic living. The new store will also reveal a new prototype Clearance Center design and vertical furniture display spotlighting the best values and fashion throughout the store. Great Lakes Crossing Outlets Grand Opening events run 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday. The first 250 people will receive a free gift.
Art Van's two new northern Michigan locations in Petoskey and Onaway also will hold grand openings on Saturday.
January 19,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on January 20, 2011
The Western Home Furnishings Association has teamed with Impact Consulting Services to offer furniture retailer members a "Business Intelligence" program.
The program, which will be introduced next week at Las Vegas Furniture Market centers on Atlanta-based Impact's FurnitureCore.com Web-based home furnishings industry knowledge center.
"Our members have been requesting this information and in 2011 we're going to help them get it--starting with FurnitureCore.com's Business Intelligence Program," said WHFA Membership Director Kaprice Crawford. "Retailers look to us to answer the tough questions like, 'What should my sales expense be and what are others spending?' Or, 'Is my market growing compared to last year?' In 2011, we're here to guide them to fact-based answers."
"A new year comes with new resolutions," Bob George, managing partner of Impact Consulting Services. "As retailers make plans for the coming year, two questions continue to surface: Where does my business stand, and where should it be? FurnitureCore.com is a dominant hub for the Home Furnishings industry where subscribers can access industry intelligence, analyze and compare their performance to the industry, and utilize tools to improve productivity. WHFA members will soon be able to tap into many of the basics as part of their membership benefits."
WHFA members can learn more about this program by visiting the WHFA space in the WMC-C488, booth 36, during Las Vegas Market next week.
January 19,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on January 20, 2011
Wisconsin furniture retailer Colder's Furniture will close its four furniture stores for Sunday's NFC title game, the Associated Press reported.
The company said most of its customers will be occupied with the game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.
The report also mentioned that Waukesha-based Steinhafels Furniture stores will remain open with reduced staff and have the game playing on its stores' televisions.
BiltRite Furniture in Greenfield will open and close earlier than usual on Sunday's or the game.
January 18,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on January 19, 2011
Klaussner Home Furnishings has a new home for High Point Furniture Market in downtown High Point.
Beginning with the April 2-7 Spring show, Asheboro, N.C.-based Klaussner will turn the 90,000-square-foot former Hamilton Market building at 101 N. Hamilton St. into the "Klaussner on Hamilton" showroom. In addition to giving Klaussner a presence near the High Point Market's hub, the move fills a highly visible building that's been mostly vacant for the most part over the past couple of years.
"Our Asheboro facility has served us well for many years," said Bill Wittenberg, president and CEO of Klaussner, "but the shopping behaviors of buyers have changed, and with this new facility we will make it easier and more convenient than ever to shop our entire product assortment all under one roof."
Renovations to the building are under way at the new showroom, which will feature two floors of showroom space showcasing Klaussner's entire product line and a new "Klaussner Kafe" serving breakfast, lunch, and evening cocktails and hors d'oeuvres throughout Market.
Klaussner showed its entire product line in a showroom at Market on Green last market, and the success of this experience proved to Klaussner the value of bringing its showroom to downtown High Point.
"Klaussner is very pleased to have a new home in High Point and have anticipated this move with a lot of excitement for the past 12 months," Wittenberg said. "Now that we are a permanent part of the high point community, we believe our retail partners will find our new Klaussner on Hamilton building to be a wonderful shopping experience."
"The new location of Klaussner's showroom provides an excellent link and greater continuity to the North End of Market," said High Point Market Authority President and CEO Brian Casey. "We could not be more pleased with their decision to make this move."
January 18,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Delivery on January 19, 2011
Home furnishings specialty carrier Furniture Transport Group has named Steven Lusty president and CEO.
He succeeds David E. Brenner, former president of Furniture Transport Group, Lenoir, N.C., who has retired after 25 years of service.
Lusty most recently served as chief operating officer of Integrated Freight Corp., a motor freight company providing nationwide long-haul, regional and local service. Prior to joining Integrated Freight Corp., he served as a consultant realigning numerous transportation and logistic companies.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome Steve Lusty to FTG," said FTG board member Louis Massood. "His background in a variety of freight sectors, including distribution and brokerage operations, and his considerable experience in successfully integrating transportation companies make him the ideal executive to lead FTG into the future."
"We are truly excited to welcome Steve Lusty to our company," said owner and shareholder Andrew DeHart, "emphasizing that current leadership is committed to re-establishing the best of the past and the brightest of the future."
Greg Skoog, owner and shareholder said, "Steve Lusty is the perfect executive to re-establish the core values of the combined companies, including responsiveness, quality and reliability. We are extremely excited to have this team in place."
Furniture Transport Group was formed nearly four years ago by the merger of MGM Transport Corp., Caldwell Freight Lines and Foothills Trucking Co. The company acquired Lance Transport two years later. The merger of these transportation companies created a single transportation firm to serve the industry nationally and leverage each of the companies' strengths in information technology, logistics support and other business functions.
"Fostering a culture is always the most important aspect of any acquisition," Lusty said. "FTG has the potential to be a truly great company, but it requires putting everybody on the same path, with the same vision. We have to re-establish the focus back on what made each of the four companies successful in the first place, beginning with listening to our customers needs and providing services in the most efficient manner to meet those needs."
With state-of-the-art online and tracking technology, LTL and deconsolidation, dual-coast warehouse and distribution facilities, light assembly capabilities, home delivery and best customer service practices, Furniture Transport Group is the largest specialty transporter of home furnishings in the United States.