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October 19,
2010 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Green on October 20, 2010
The Alifair wing chair from Savannah College of Art and Design student Ryland Quillen has won Cargill's BiOH Polyols' Project UDesign Competition.
Alifair received 1,881 votes from consumers and members of the home furnishings industry attending the High Point Market. During the award presentation Wednesday morning, Quillen was cited for his unique interpretation of the wing chair's function in a contemporary living room setting.
Designs and related video footage are displayed on Cargill's Experience BiOH blog and You Tube channel.
Project UDesign was sponsored by Cargill's Biobased Polyurethanes business unit, makers of the soy-based ingredient which replaces a percentage of petroleum in foam used for upholstered furniture cushioning.
"The attention Project UDesign has garnered here at the High Point Market, as well as online from the public and the media over the past few months, has been quite significant--confirming that consumers and the trade want to see more sustainable products in the marketplace," said Yusuf Wazirada, Cargill's Biobased Polyurethanes business unit leader.
"Sustainability is about more than being 'green' and using eco-friendly products and processes," said SCAD BFA furniture design student Ryland Quillen, a resident of Johnson City, Tenn. Its also about investing in our futures.
North Carolina-based Century Furniture, a 2009 AHFA SAGE award finalist and Sustainable Furnishings Council member, has pledged to manufacture the new wing chair, the first furniture design to be crowdsourced prior to production, with a finished frame from sustainably harvested and certified woods. The chair will be available for purchase by consumers in 2011.
As the winning designer, Quillen will receive a royalty for each unit of the chair Century sells. He was also awarded a $1,000 prize from Cargill's BiOH polyols business during the ceremony. Runners up in the competition received gifts from co-sponsor Toray International, makers of Ultrasuede EcoDesign upholstery covers.
"The Project UDesign Competition has been a rewarding experience for the students who participated, but it's been an equally rewarding endeavor for all of the sponsoring companies involved," said Helen Brier, sales and marketing manager, Interiors, Toray International. "The students obvious talent and passion for eco-friendly design as 'the right thing to do' has been energizing for everyone involved."
"Just because its sustainable, doesnt mean it has to look it, or even flaunt its sustainable message," said Matt Gray, SCAD MFA furniture design student, and another competition favorite.
"Design is becoming a hub for collaboration, where the design world is colliding with the green world," said Emily Carpenter, SCAD BFA furniture design student, and Project UDesign finalist.
October 19,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Internet on October 20, 2010
High fashion RTA furniture vendor Euro Style no longer will make its furniture available for sale on the Internet.
The move is designed to protect San Rafael, Calif.-based Euro Style's brick-and-mortar retailers.
Judith Ets-Hokin, VP Sales & Marketing says "Our retailers complained of consumers special ordering products so they could 'sit, touch, and feel,' then ordering them from an e-ommerce dealer to avoid sales tax and shipping charges," said Vice President of Sales and Marketing Judith Ets-Hokin. "We started this in April and our retailers' sales have increased dramatically. The Euro Style Web site lists our retailers to make it easy for consumers to find a retailer. Everyone is pleased, the Italmodern e-tailers as well. This was the right strategy--perfect for the new world of retail."
Euro Style has factories in Italy, Spain and East Asia producing products at promotional and medium price points, and available to retailers by containers, or from its Northern California warehouse.
The company's High Point Furniture Market showroom is located in the IHFC-H511, -H512.
October 19,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on October 20, 2010
Quinn Decker has been named president of contract furniture vendor Samuel Lawrence Hospitality.
He reports to George Revington, president and CEO of SLH parent company Home Meridian International. Peggy Stone and Richard Dortch continue in their roles as manager of sales operations and new product development, respectively, and report to Decker.
Prior to joining Samuel Lawrence Hospitality, Decker served as director of sales for Kimball Hospitality. He held positions in manufacturing, supply chain, and purchasing management during his 11-year tenure at Kimball.
"Quinn brings a wealth of relevant experience to this position," Revington said. "We are committed to this category and believe that pent up demand offers the potential for significant growth in the near future. Quinn has strong relationships with our key customers and is a perfect fit for our lean, global, and wired company."
"This is a great opportunity for me," Decker said. "I observed SLH as a formidable competitor. I was impressed with its custom capabilities and global reach. SLH is lean enough to be flexible and responsive--and has the resources and financial stability to meet the largest jobs. I look forward to being a part of this winning team." Decker, his wife Carrie, and two daughters will be relocating to the High Point area.
Home Meridian International, High Point, is a global design, sourcing and marketing company that ranks among the top five case goods suppliers to U.S. furniture retailers with distribution centers on both coasts. It has offices in Dongguan and Shanghai, China; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the parent company of Pulaski Furniture, Samuel Lawrence Furniture, Samuel Lawrence Hospitality, Creations baby and Prime Resources International.
October 19,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Financial Reports on October 20, 2010
Flexsteel Inds. (NASDAQ: FLXS) earned $2.3 million in the first quarter ended Sept. 30, compared to net income of $1.4 million for the same quarter last year.
Net sales for the quarter were $87.2 million, a 15 percent increase compared to net sales of $75.9 million during the first quarter last year. Residential net sales were $65.2 million in the current quarter, an increase of 16 percent from the prior year quarter residential net sales of $56.2 million. Commercial net sales were $22.0 million compared to $19.7 million in the prior year quarter, an increase of 12 percent.
Read Flexsteel's complete first quarter earnings release online.
October 19,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on October 20, 2010
Bedding supplier Tempur-Pedic International (NYSE: TPX) reported net income of $44.2 million for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 compared to net income of $25.7 million during the same quarter last year.
Sales for the quarter climbed 32 percent to $295.8 million, compared to $224.1 million in the third quarter last year. The company said mattress sales increased 46 percent in its North American business and 3 percent internationally.
"We are pleased with the market share gains and the sales and earnings growth we have achieved in the third quarter," said Mark Sarvary, CEO. "Throughout 2010 we have grown sales and profit while improving our competitive positionstrengthening our product line, improving the effectiveness of our marketing and increasing our margins. We continue to project considerable potential for growth for Tempur-Pedic over the coming years, and over the coming quarters we will invest to capitalize on this opportunity."
During the third quarter, the company purchased 1.8 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $27.57 for a total cost of $50 million. During the first three quarters of 2010, Tempur-Pedic purchased 8.5 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $29.41 for a total cost of $250 million.
The company's board of directors had expanded the existing share repurchase program by $50 million for a total authorization of up to $150 million. Reflecting share repurchases made during the third quarter, the company currently has $100 million remaining under this authorization.
Tempur-Pedic's complete earnings release can be found on its Web site.