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From Home Furnishing Business
Fusion Designs Introduces Innovative Butterfly Leaf Table
October 2,
2024 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
Fusion Designs, a leader in solid wood, domestically produced case goods, has once again brought innovation to the dining category with the introduction of a butterfly leaf that expands the table and then automatically glides and locks it in in place with a consumer using just one hand.
“The leaf has been the disdain of many hosts and hostesses for decades. Whether it be storing the leaves, lifting them, trying to lock them in place –it is almost on par with the frustration of threading a sewing needle,” said Fusion Designs president Marcus Bontrager.
“We have been evolving our innovation in this category for some time, but this new design brings a level of ease and functionality not seen in the category before.”
All of Fusion’s expandable dining tables will start incorporating the new feature that starts with a conveniently placed handle that lifts the butterfly leaf out with one hand. When a consumer lifts the easy to maneuver leaf, it opens and then follows a steel, ball-bearing slide with magnets on the ends that tightly lock it place.
“Setting the table is hard enough, so consumers just want to get to entertaining, and
gather family and friends around the table, making any extra step a hassle. Now, they can just reach in, pull the handle, and the leaf will automatically position itself. All they need to do is close the table. It’s much easier to use and less clunky than the older versions,” he added.
Additionally, the improved mechanism is built out of steel, while most imported versions of leaf locks are made using less expensive brass, a softer metal, that will likely eventually fail.
Moving forward, all of Fusion Designs’ dining tables with a butterfly leaf will incorporate the new and improved mechanism. The new product was engineered and designed by Alan Bontrager, chief operating officer.