Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
December 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in licensing on December 14, 2010
Outdoor apparel manufacturer Woolrich has added textile manufacturer JLA Home to its lineup of home furnishings licensing partners.
JLA Home will provide Woolrich's Home program with a line of coordinating top-of-bed products, textile wall art, and decorative pillows. JLA will preview the new Woolrich collection at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market January 14-18, with additional introductions of the new line to take place at the formal launch at High Point Furniture Market in April.
Planned introductions will include a total of five bedding ensembles. Queen sets will include a filled duvet, adjustable bed skirt, two Euro shams, and two standard shams. Decorative throws, themed pillows, and sheets will also be available separately, and will provide a variety of custom looks.
"JLA Home is well known for its high quality, fashionable products," said Sharon Kepley, licensing manager of home furnishings for Woolrich, Woolrich, Pa. "Their innovative approach and strong presence at retail will play a key role as we expand the Woolrich line to include a broader range of styles beyond our traditional outdoor-inspired, rustic niche."
The JLA product line is designed to complement Woolrich's existing brand partners and their products, which include: Lynn Haney Collection handcrafted Santas; Mohawk Home floor coverings; Picture Source wall art; Rowe Pottery Works handcrafted pottery and garden decor; Shadow Mountain home furnishings; Shady Lady handcrafted lighting and accessories; and Whitecraft indoor and outdoor furniture.
"We are very excited to be teaming up with this iconic American brand," said George Kerr, president of JLA Home. "Our bedding and decorative items will be a stylish complement to the popular Woolrich line of home furnishings, providing consumers with new options for decorating their homes."
December 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on December 14, 2010
Home furnishings retail giant Ikea has named five finalists to win a year-long sabbatical to improve the lives of others.
The public can vote online Dec. 13-Jan. 17 for their favorite project online at to determine the winner, who will be announced on Jan. 31. IKEA will donate $1 to Save the Children's U.S. Programs for every vote received (up to $50,000).
The five finalists are:
* LaJuana Moser of California City, Calif.): As a foster mom, Moser created bags4kids after years of seeing foster children moved from home to home with only the clothes on their backs. She has since delivered over 8,000 bags filled with personal care products, toys and other necessities for these children. With funding, LaJuana would expand bags4kids to reach more children in need in California and across the country.
* Ralph Johnson, Hempstead, N.Y.: Johnson has been bringing the wonders of science to at-risk students for nearly two decades, exposing them to programs in agricultural science, medical investigation, forensics, and science research. His educational and mentoring efforts have changed more than 800 teens' lives. With funding, Ralph will expand the program to reach nearly three times the amount of students in New York communities.
* Kyria Henry, Round Hill, Va.: At just 12 years old, Kyria Henry founded paws4people, and later paws4vets, training and pairing service dogs with children, seniors, seriously ill and disabled people, and war veterans needing assistance. A year-long sabbatical will allow Kyria to devote her full attention to the paws4vets program, providing service dogs to assist retired and active-duty military veterans as a tool to ease emotional, physical and psychological traumas and help them return to normal life.
* Philip Filner, Lutherville, Md.: When retired scientist Philip Filner learned about an unused greenhouse at Baltimore's Northwestern High School, he knew it was an opportunity to give hands-on courses in biology and environmental science and set students on a path of discovering future career paths. With funding, Philip could create a teaching laboratory, using the greenhouse as a facility for experiments, skilled crafts, and a tool to encourage students to ask questions and learn about nature.
* Elizabeth Woods, Waxhaw, N.C.: After losing her son and her Special Forces husband, Elizabeth created Soul Widows, a support group and online community of resources, forums and retreats for others experiencing loss. With funding, Elizabeth hopes to provide regular meeting spaces, fund therapists and allow continued support to widows through her organization.
"We have been touched by the thoughtful, passionate ideas that were in the nearly 2,000 contest submissions; we want to commend everyone for their heartfelt commitment to improve the lives of others," said Ikea North America Marketing Manager Leontyne Green. "IKEA believes in creating a better everyday life for the many people and we are excited to support the winner in advancing his or her passion project that will impact the lives of many."
In addition the year-long sabbatical worth $100,000, the winner also will also receive a 3-day/2-night trip to a spa resort in Phoenix, Ariz., to participate in a one hour life coaching session with O, The Oprah Magazine's life coach Dr. Martha Beck, and will be featured in advertorials in issues of O, The Oprah Magazine. The public can also continue to follow the winner throughout the year as his/her project is chronicled on thelifeimprovementproject.com.
December 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on December 14, 2010
The American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation is offering online guidelines for furniture companies to preserve their history and memorabilia.
"The heart of a company's memory is in its records, which offer a unique testimony to its history, milestones and achievements," said Joe Carroll, chairman of the Hall of Fame Legacy Board and president of McNeill Communications Group Inc. "We now provide guidelines, free of charge, about what materials are important to keep and how those materials should be stored and preserved."
Documents often prove invaluable for future administrative, legal, fiscal, and public relations purposes for the local community and the furniture industry as a whole. The guidelines include information about what documents are important to keep and archive and how to properly store books, photos and printed materials.
"Every company has its stories, told in photographs, written histories, memorabilia, videos and oral interviews," Carroll said. "Whatever the format, there are steps that should be taken to preserve it so we save and collect our industry's history for future generations."
The Foundation offers an Oral History program, which includes an extensive interview and published transcript complete with photography. It also is in the beginning stages of creating a chronological timeline that includes retail, manufacturing, merchandising and marketing trends, and the supply chain. This information will be shared with the industry on an updated Wall of Fame, on the Foundations website, and will be available for use by historians and researchers.
Photography, books and documents can be sent to the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. at 202 Neal Place, High Point, N.C., 27262. Donors will receive public recognition and materials can be considered a charitable donation for tax purposes. Information gleaned from these donations will be given full credit whenever they are used for Foundation purposes. Call 336.882.5900 with any questions.
December 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Business Strategy on December 14, 2010
Furniture supplier Hickory Chair has been named one of
Duke Energy's Power Partners for 2010.
Hickory Chair is enrolled in Duke's PowerShare progam, which is a demand response program that rewards companies for adjusting energy consumption levels during peak times. Hickory Chair's participation in the the program has prompted three other facilities owned by parent
Furniture Brands International to do the same.
In addition to partiicpating in PowerShare, Hickory Chair qualified for incentives through Duke Energy's Smart $aver program. The money was awarded for improvements to the company's heating and cooling system and its indoor lighting systems.
December 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on December 14, 2010
Stanley Furniture Co. (NASDAQ: STLY) has named a new board member, a new chairman and a new chief financial officer.
Paul Dascoli has been elected to the case goods company's board of directors; Michael Haley has been elected chairman of the board effective Jan. 1, and Micah Goldstein has been elected chief financial officer as of Dec. 9.
Dascoli is vice president/chief financial officer of VF Jeanswear Limited Partnership, a division of
VF Corp. (NYSE: VFC), a leader in branded lifestyle apparel. From 1996 to 2006, Dascoli served in several capacities with
Thomasville Furniture Inds., a division of
Furniture Brands International. Dascoli's term as a director will end in 2013 and his election is in connection with the previously announced decision by Thomas Millner to resign as a director in early 2011.
Michael Haley will become chairman on Jan. 1, in connection with the previously announced retirement of Albert Prillaman. Prillaman will continue to serve as a director. Haley, who will serve as chairman in a non-executive capacity, has served as an independent director since 2003, has been lead director since May 2010, and is chairman of the corporate governance and nominating committee of the board. Haley is the former president of case goods manufacturing at American of Martinsville.
Micah Goldstein, chief operating officer of the company, was also elected chief financial officer in connection with the announced retirement of Douglas Payne as executive vice president -- finance and administration. Goldstein joined the company in August and previously served as president and chief executive officer of Bri-Mar Manufacturing, a manufacturer of hydraulic equipment trailers.
"We are pleased to have Paul Dascoli join our board and for Mike Haley to become chairman at the beginning of 2011," said Glenn Prillaman, president and chief executive officer of the company. "Both men have first-hand knowledge of the furniture industry as well as a breadth of other experience that will be of value to the company as we move forward with our restructuring plan and as we develop strategy in the future. We also thank Doug Payne for his career contributions and welcome Micah Goldstein into his expanded role."