Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Mexico-based Furnishings Factory Doubles Capacity, Shortens Supply Chain for U.S. Brands
October 18,
2021 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
Jonathan Bass, CEO of PTM Images, Innova Luxury Group and direct-to-consumer furniture brand Whom Home, announces expansions to his Mexico-based furnishings manufacturing factory in the state of Sonora, Mexico.
Doubling the factory floor to 400,000 square feet in August, the larger footprint is designed to accommodate an increase in furniture craftspeople and production capacity. Bass plans for growth in manufacturing personnel to exceed 40 percent before the end of the year.
“We’re growing to supply U.S. based OEM customers,” says Bass, who produces mid- and high-end upholstered seating and case goods in this facility under the Innova banner. “Increasing capacity allows us to add to Innova’s current production for 1stdibs, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, West Elm and Anthropologie.”
For the October High Point Market, Bass launched quick ship programs featuring over 150 new SKUs with A.R.T. Furniture, Hooker Furnishings, and Home Meridian International.
“The proximity of Mexico to the North American consumer yields several benefits, and compares favorably to offshore producers, since we can reduce delivery lead times and freight costs while also reducing our industry’s environmental impact,” adds Bass. “Our goal is to offer a competitive product that is manufactured close to the point of consumption.”
“The target to hit for delivery lead times is 4 to 6 weeks,” he says. “What’s good for the consumer translates into a reduction in freight and logistics costs, which improves profitability. But especially now, lead times are also critical to the retailers' ability to receipt sales. Dealers can’t complete the sale when the customer’s product is stuck somewhere in a container.”
Bass began manufacturing in the city of San Luis Rio Del Colorado in 2011, focused at that time on wall decor, mirrors and frames for PTM Images. In 2015, he adapted his factory to produce quality home furnishings items, including for Innova Luxury Group and in-house brand WhomHome.com, the only vertically integrated home decor manufacturer in North America.
“We’ve been in the race to fix long and dirty supply chains for U.S. furnishings brands,” says Bass, who lists environmentally positive practices his business employs, from polystyrene reclamation to forest replenishment, on the website for Whom Home. “Meeting the needs of today’s values-based consumer is good for the whole marketplace.”