Posts Tagged ‘lincolnton home decor’

Former N.C. textile mill to become furnishings retail center

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Wow Home Furnishings to open in Mooresville in May
Furniture Today Staff — Furniture Today
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A vacant textile mill here is set to be converted to a giant home furnishings center, according to a report by the Mooresville Tribune.
New York-based Concord Global Trading acquired the 38-acre site, including the 755,000 square feet in former mill buildings, for $500,000 with plans to open its third Wow Home Furnishings center in May, the report said.

Concord operates Wow stores in Fort Lawn, S.C., and Jefferson, Ga. — both former mill sites. According the Web site for its 250,000-square-foot Fort Lawn center, suppliers include Berkline, La-Z-Boy, England, BenchCraft, Sumter, Pulaski, Broyhill, Vaughan-Bassett, Sierra, Jaipur Rugs and Englander, Corsicana, Sealy and Serta in bedding.

Las Vegas Market puts more emphasis on ‘green’

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

One Good Guide will highlight sustainable products

Heath E. Combs — Furniture Today

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Market will continue emphasizing sustainability with new green initiatives at the next show, which runs Feb. 1-5 at the World Market Center.

The market’s One Good World program will expand to include a supplier locator called One Good Guide, to help buyers find legitimate sustainable products at the event. These exhibitors will be listed in a special section of the market directory.

Companies interested in being listed will be vetted by the Sustainable Furnishings Council. Applications will require declarations about materials usage, transportation, wood sourcing, VOC emissions and foams used in upholstery cushioning. Exhibitors must also show and offer sustainable products at market and not merely have them as available options, the WMC said.

In addition to the listing, participants will receive window decals and showroom signage to call attention to their status, along with additional online marketing and public relations support.

WMC officials also said they plan to announce a “sustainability leadership congress” in early 2010 with representatives from government, environmental groups, manufacturers, retailers, interior designers and consumer media focused on wood sourcing.

“The green economy is not coming fast – it is already here,” said WMC President and CEO Bob Maricich. “Being ‘green’ is more than a principle and more than a trend; it is a sound business practice. Taking proactive actions to respect our environment is now a business reality and increasingly critical to our industry.”

At the February market, WMC also will offer seminars on eco-issues, including an interior design symposium with participants including HGTV’s Angelo Surmelis and brand icon Kathy Ireland.

The market also is hosting the SFC’s GREENleaders Certified Sustainability Training, a six-hour exam course for accreditation. The WMC also offered the course in February 2009.

For more information about participating in One Good Guide, exhibitors should contact the Sustainable Furnishings Council at (919) 967-1137 or e-mail susan@sustainablefurnishings.org.

International Home Furnishings Center honors Mark Andrews

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Receives first Robert H. Spilman Spirit of Excellence Award

Furniture Today Staff — Furniture Today

 Mark Andrews, left, of the International Home Furnishings Center, receives the IHFC’s first Robert H. Spilman Spirit of Excellence Award from IHFC President Tom Mitchell. 

HIGH POINT — Mark Andrews, Design Center manager at the International Home Furnishings Center here, has won the IHFC’s first Robert H. Spilman Spirit of Excellence Award.

The new award is named for Spilman, the late CEO of Bassett Furniture Inds. who led a buyout of the IHFC in 1985 and became its chairman.

Andrews joined the IHFC in 2003. Tom Mitchell, IHFC president, said in presenting the award that it represents the qualities that Spilman would have wanted to recognize – “a loyal performer who is customer-service oriented, and an engaged team player who leads by example.”

 Andrews was presented with a silver bowl, a replica of the award that will remain on display in the IHFC executive office lobby. It will be engraved each year with the name of the annual recipient.