People in this market arent dialing back on quality, Lush said. What weve learned, perhaps not surprisingly, is that its been the better products that sell the best.
Throughout the furniture industry theres been a tendency to think that because of the recession the market for expensive items had disappeared, he said. Thats why everyones been in such a rush to move down. So now, for the person who wants outstanding quality, there are very few choices.
Larry Norris, owner of Norris Furniture, said hes already up to 87 employees since he came back to the business as it was hitting bottom three years ago.
Hed sold the store to Hendricks Furniture in 1988 but Hendricks closed the Fort Myers operation in 2009 and Norris got back in the game later that year.
Now, he said, Were up to 87 employees, many of them added in the past year as business picked up.
Since returning to the business, Norris said, styles have changed but more important is the level of trust his staff designers some from Norris first time around have built up over the years with longtime customers.
In a twist on that dynamic, both Robb & Stucky International and Clive Daniel are brand-new operations but have a claim to some of that same loyalty.
We wanted the name. We fought hard to buy the name Robb & Stucky back, but ultimately it was not in the cards, said Lubner of Clive Daniel Home.
Still, he said, Although were not unhappy with our name now, a name means nothing. They (customers) know the service theyre going to get.
Employees are key
Robb & Stucky filed in February 2011 for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with more than $57 million owed to creditors along with $1.6 million in unpaid wages and $118,913 in back taxes.
But customers and suppliers from the old Robb & Stucky days are working with Clive Daniel now, Dan Lubner said. There have been people we havent spoken to for five and six years who had a project, put it on hold, but now are moving forward again.
Clive Daniel also has many of the designers from the old Robb & Stucky, Lubner said, along with the attitude that success means staying one step ahead of the market.
Source: www.news-press.com
Weaver Furniture Sales Debuts "Sunshine and Shadows" Quilt Garden - YAHOO!
Weaver Furniture Sales unveils the “Sunshine and Shadows” Quilt Garden as part of the Quilt Garden Tour in Elkhart and LaGrange County, Indiana.
Shipshewana, IN (PRWEB) June 05, 2012
After the success of last year’s “Amish Shadow” quilt garden, Weaver Furniture Sales, a Shipshewana furniture store specializing in handcrafted mission furniture, is proud to once again participate in the Quilt Garden Tour by creating the “Sunshine and Shadows” quilt garden. Featuring the celebrated light and dark design featured in classic Amish quilts, the “Sunshine and Shadows” quilt garden is composed of thousands of brilliant blooms arranged to create a classic design. The flowers have been planted and the garden is in full bloom, displaying a beautiful quilt in the Weaver garden. A sturdy viewing deck and informational plaque allow for a breathtaking viewing experience for summer visitors now through early October. “We are happy the blue birds enjoyed the garden first this year but we look forward to letting all of our visitors over the summer see the great work by Ida, Carolyn and Ruth,” said LeRoy, owner of Weaver Furniture Sales.The simple, bold designs of Amish quilts have charmed people for over a century, but the beautiful “quilt gardens” are a new phenomenon that have recently captured the popular imagination. Elkhart and LaGrange County, located in Northern Indiana’s Amish Country, have sponsored the Quilt Garden Tour for several years as part of the Heritage Trail, a 90-mile cultural driving tour that explores the back roads and notable spots of Amish Country.
Weaver’s “Sunshine and Shadows” quilt garden was designed by Shipshewana natives Carolyn Miller, Ida Weaver and Ruth Miller and is located on the property of Weavers. In 1989, LeRoy and Ida Weaver started Weaver Furniture Sales after converting the family dairy barn into a furniture showroom and offering locally-crafted solid wood furniture. Today, most of the Weaver’s eight children help run the business and have turned Weaver’s into an important part of the Shipshewana Amish community.
About Weaver Furniture Sales:
Weaver Furniture Sales was established in 1989 in Shipshewana, Indiana, and is an Amish, family-owned furniture business that offers a full line of solid wood, Amish Furniture at affordable prices – for both residential and commercial purposes. Weaver Furniture Sales features shaker styles, traditional and mission furniture. As part of their client services, Weaver Furniture Sales provides furniture design consultation services, custom furniture options, furniture quotes, layaway options and various delivery alternatives for residences and businesses in the United States from their quiet country showroom in Shipshewana, Indiana.
LeRoy and Ida Weaver have owned and operated Weaver Furniture Sales for over twenty-two years, beginning with a 1,500 square foot showroom and expanding to over 15,000 square feet today. Previously, they owned and managed LeWana Dairy Farm where they milked cows and raised corn and hay.
Marty Weaver
Weaver Furniture Sales
260-768-7730
Email Information
Source: news.yahoo.com
Standard Furniture marks 100th birthday with 4th-generation leadership - Everything Alabama Blog
Stuart Shevin was just 26 years old when he took over in 1975 as the third generation of his family to serve as president of Standard Furniture Co., the Birmingham-based retailer dating back to 1912.
In late April, after Shevin died following a three-year battle with lung cancer, his 29-year-old-son, Jacob Shevin, began following in his father's footsteps at the helm of the family business.
Jacob Shevin says his father's leadership is sorely missed, but he and other executives are doing their part to live up to the standards Stuart Shevin left at the company.
"One trait my Dad left with me was this: He felt a responsibility to take care of the customers and treat the employees like family," Jacob Shevin said. "That's how we've been in business for 100 years."
Mark Crayne, a Standard Furniture executive vice president who worked alongside Stuart Shevin for 39 years, said the late company president left a positive mark on all who knew him.
"He was a good guy, and an even better businessman," Crayne said. "He not only cared about the employees and customers of Standard Furniture, but was very passionate about being involved in the community. He preferred to be in the background, not seeking publicity for the things Standard does. It something we continue today."
Vice President of Operations Greg Troncale, a 38-year Standard Furniture employee, said Stuart Shevin followed a management philosophy passed down to him by his father and grandfather -- put the customer first and the business will succeed.
"Stuart told it like it is. You always knew where you stood with him, and he was a man of his word," Troncale said. "That goes a long way with getting management, other employees and customers to support you."
Standard Furniture was founded in August 1912 as a single location in downtown Birmingham as Standard Furnishing Co. by Felix Shevinsky, great-grandfather of current fourth-generation Jacob Shevin. (The family's last name was later shortened to Shevin).
According to a business history provided by Jacob Shevin, the family business started out selling clothing and furniture. The clothing operation was discontinued in 1957, when the company name was changed to Standard Furniture Co.
STANDARD FURNITURE
Founder: Felix Shevinsky.
Date: August 1912 as Standard Furnishings Co. at 210 18th St. North, selling clothing and house furnishings. Discontinued clothing in 1957 and renamed as Standard Furniture Co.
Business: Sells furniture and house furnishings. 13 stores. One in Tennessee and 12 in Alabama, including seven in metro Birmingham. Warehouse in Ensley.
Top executives: Jacob Shevin, fourth generation of his family at the helm; executive vice president Mark Crayne, and vice president of operations Greg Troncale.
Employees: 100.
Headquarters: 11 Office Park Circle, Birmingham.
Phone: 205-879-1604.
Website: standardfurniture.net.
Troncale said Standard has some customers who are the third and fourth-generation of their family to buy furniture at the company.
"You don't stay in business for 100 years unless you make customer service a priority," he said. "When somebody comes in here to pay on an account or to shop, we know most of them by name. We give that personal touch you don't get in the big chains."
Standard Furniture also has been able to retain support despite deep-pocketed national competition by focusing on its ties to the community, Crayne said.
"We have in-house financing. You buy here and pay here," he said. "The money spent here stays in the community instead of going to some headquarters out of state. Plus we have our own merchandise at a warehouse in Birmingham instead of having to ship it in from far away."
Standard Furniture has survived to be a century-old by learning how to adapt to changing times, Troncale said. He said the economic downturn that battered the housing market had a negative impact on Standard Furniture, just like it hit other industry retailers.
"We had to watch our expenses," Troncale said. "Tightening our belts has been the key."
Jacob Shevin said Standard, like many businesses, has evolved over the years. While the family dropped its stores clothing merchandise, Jacob Shevin said Standard has maintained its niche as a provider of quality, affordable furniture, mattresses, electronics, and appliances.
"We feel blessed to have been here in Birmingham 100 years," he said.
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Williams at rwilliams@bhamnews.com.
Source: blog.al.com
Robinson Furniture returns to Detroit - detroitnews.com
In another sign of downtown Detroit's resurgence, a familiar furniture retailer whose name vanished from storefronts almost a decade ago is setting up shop along Jefferson Avenue.
Robinson Furniture will open Monday at 3180 Jefferson Ave., just east of downtown in an attempt to fill Detroit's furniture void, said Scott Bradley, a former partner of the original Robinson Furniture Co. that was sold in 2003. Although the 15,000-square-foot showroom in the former Powerhouse Gym hasn't officially opened, Bradley said he hasn't turned away people who have knocked on the door this week. Those customers include Wilson Riddles of Detroit, who bought a bed Tuesday.
The store is being created to serve new residents buying houses and those moving into newly built or renovated apartments, Bradley said. And the need is there, he said, adding that he already has sold furniture to passers-by even though his showroom isn't fully stocked.
"It's crazy what's going on" with the uptick in people moving into some Detroit neighborhoods, Bradley said. "I'm really excited."
The former Robinson Furniture Co. went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings more than four decades ago and was bought out nine years ago by another furniture retailer that absorbed the Robinson stores but didn't keep alive the Robinson name.
In Detroit, furniture retailers, like other retail staples in major cities, are few and far between. There's Gardella Furniture on Gratiot Avenue, Detroit Furniture on West Warren Avenue and Danto & Co. on Vernor Highway.
"The market is underserved, and there are also fewer options than there used to be for low-cost or discount furniture retailers," said Farmington Hills-based retail analyst Ken Dalto. "It would be to serve the people moving into apartments."
Dalto said it is likely Robinson will benefit from supplementary furniture sales — a couch, chair or bed instead of full-room or housing sets — because of the comparatively smaller apartments and condominiums in Detroit.
The apartments and condominiums, particularly rental housing, are rapidly filling up downtown and in Midtown.
"There's nobody out here to cater to those people," Bradley said.
The new store also will feature a 2,000-square-foot mattress section. Bradley said he tried to work out a lease agreement closer to the downtown business district, but said parking situations in the high-traffic area would not have benefited his business.
Store hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Dalto said the new-era Robinson could flourish under the right set of circumstances.
"People are still there, they need more housing and they need more furniture," he said. "It's a good move as long as the pricing is right."
(313) 222-2504
Source: www.detroitnews.com
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