The long-term partnership marks the first-of-its-kind in the furniture and mattress category for both teams, owned by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment and aims to engage their fans by offering unique experiences, while leaning into the brands’ shared mission and commitment to positively impact their communities. As part of the partnership, awareness and funds will be raised to help children in the foster care system find a permanent home.

“We are thrilled to partner with these two iconic Detroit teams,” said Todd Garten, Chief Marketing Officer of DSG. “We love the passion of the fan base and see this as a tremendous opportunity to enhance the fan experience, while also making a significant impact in the local community. We are committed to working with local organizations and agencies to help find a permanent home for every child in Michigan.”

To kick off that commitment, Ashley DSG will be donating 124 beds to Detroit-area foster children through their “Hope to Dream” initiative, which works to ensure all children have access to a safe place to sleep at night.

To celebrate the game-changing news and the Tigers 124^th season this summer, Ashley will be giving away over $124,000 in furniture, mattresses, team merchandise, and fan experiences in July and August. As part of the giveaways, one sweepstakes winner will receive a $24,000 Ashley shopping spree and four (4) tickets to the Detroit Tigers game of their choice.

The brand will be holding a series of themed events in their 7 metro Detroit locations, including:

●     July 12: 124 FREE rides with Lyft to/from the Tigers’ home game at Comerica Park

●     July 13: Shop Detroit’s “Local Love Days” Presented by Ashley

●     July 27: First 124 guests at each Ashley Detroit location and the Windsor, ON location will receive a free branded Detroit Tigers x Ashley Stanley Tumbler

●     August 10: Detroit Tigers x Red Wings Alumni Meet & Greet

○     Dearborn store only

●     August 24: FREE Detroit Tigers + Red Wings Swag All Day

○     All Detroit stores: Westland, Woodhaven, Auburn Hills, Madison Heights, Novi, Dearborn, Sterling Heights, and Windsor, ON location

In addition, from July 1 to August 31, shoppers in the Detroit market can mention Ashley’s exclusive partnerships to receive 20% off their purchase*.

For additional details on the partnership and its corresponding events, please visit https://ashley-dsg.com/detroit.

* Minimum purchase of $1999 required to receive 20% off. Valid at participating Ashley locations only. Not valid on previous purchases and cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion. Exclusions apply. Ashley Exclusive products may be excluded from some discount & promotional offers, varies by store location. See store for details. Offer valid 7/1/2024-8/31/2024.

The post Ashley licensee named exclusive furniture, mattress partner to Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers appeared first on Home News Now.

The new store is owned and operated by 3G Ventures, who own two additional Ashley stores in the surrounding region. This is the second Ashley Outlet in the state of Idaho. The Twin Falls Store will employ approximately 25 people.  

“We are thrilled to bring the number one furniture store brand in North America closer to our customers here in Twin Falls and surrounding areas,” said Jared Goody, general manager of 3G Ventures. “We look forward to offering a wide variety of home furnishings and mattresses to this market at exceptional values as well as providing the best customer service in the industry. Our Ashley family is incredibly excited to share this beautiful store with our guests in the area.” 

Ashley Outlet is a new store concept focusing on guest convenience and providing comfortable and quality products. With hundreds of home furnishing products, many of them being ‘grab and go’ so guests can take it home the same day, Ashley Outlet provides an easy shopping experience from start to finish.     

The new Ashley Outlet showroom design features products by category including motion and stationary upholstery, dining, bedroom, outdoor, home office, mattress and accessories. This layout makes the store easy to navigate and help customers quickly find what they are looking for. 

Ashley Outlet hours are Monday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Follow Ashley Pocatello Twin Falls on Facebook and @ashley.idaho on Instagram to stay up to date with products, promotions, and events. 

The post 3G Ventures opens new Ashley store in Twin Falls, Idaho appeared first on Home News Now.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace shares in Hope to Dream’s mission of providing beds to children who would otherwise go without. Together, they have created a powerful alliance focused on delivering a good night’s sleep and a sense of security to those most in need. This crucial partnership has positively impacted the lives of countless children and families throughout the United States and across several countries.  

“We are thrilled to mark the fifth anniversary of our partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace by donating 1,000 mattresses,” said Ruthie Bautista, Vice President of Hope to Dream. “This is a testament to the unwavering commitment of both organizations towards improving the lives of children across the nation. Our shared dedication to ensuring every child has a safe and comfortable place to sleep has been the driving force behind this successful collaboration.” 

Sleep in Heavenly Peace aligns perfectly with Hope to Dream’s aim of providing proper bedding solutions to children facing difficult circumstances. By delivering quality mattresses and bedding accessories, these organizations bring warmth, comfort, and a sense of stability to countless lives. In April 2024, Sleep in Heavenly Peace built and delivered their 200,000th bed. Hope to Dream and local Ashley stores have supplied over 8,000 beds towards this achievement over the course of the partnership. A portion of every mattress purchased at participating Ashley stores helps Hope to Dream provide beds to children in need.   

“We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing partnership with Hope to Dream,” said Luke Mickelson, Founder and Head of Development of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. “This donation of 1,000 mattresses will go a long way in helping us continue our mission of ensuring no child has to sleep on the floor. Our shared dedication to improving the lives of children in need has been the key to our success, and we look forward to continuing this impactful partnership in the years to come.” 

Together, Hope to Dream and Sleep in Heavenly Peace remain committed to helping children experience the transformative power of a good night’s sleep. 

The post Hope to Dream donates 1,000 mattresses to Sleep in Heavenly Peace as part of 5-year partnership  appeared first on Home News Now.

The Eclipse HOPE mattress collection, distinguished by its stylish cover with pink highlights, offers a variety of premium mattress offerings, with the top-of-the-line model featuring BIA’s patented Spinal Zone Version III, a product that has micro coils embedded in the lumbar region of the mattress for additional support and comfort. With over 1,200 coils in the queen size model, the HOPE mattress not only provides for a restful night’s sleep, but is a prime example of cause marketing that resonates with consumers.

With every purchase of the HOPE mattress, BIA donates five percent to the Susan G. Komen foundation, a leading breast cancer awareness organization.

“We are proud to partner with the Komen foundation to help raise awareness for breast cancer prevention. By offering the product in the summer, it enables dealers to have the time to order, plan and start promoting the program prior to October,” said BIA Chief Operating Officer, Phil Carlitz. “Our goal is to arm dealers with everything they need to promote and drive traffic this fall when consumer interest and awareness is at its height and raise as much as we can for this cause.”

“The striking pink accents on this mattress stand out in our showroom, and it will turn dealer’s heads. Women continue to the be the primary decision maker in mattress purchasing decisions and consumers will gravitate to the Eclipse HOPE display in support of this important cause,” he added.

The Eclipse HOPE mattress collection starts at $999 in queen and will be prominently displayed at BIA’s Las Vegas showroom space B-1118 at the World Market Center.

The post Bedding Industries of America supports breast cancer awareness with Eclipse Hope mattress appeared first on Home News Now.

Loree brings significant consumer durables and retail channel experience, having served in C-suite roles at Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. for almost 25 years, including serving as the company’s CEO from 2016 to June 2022.

During his tenure, Loree led growth strategies to increase revenue from $2 billion to $16 billion. Under Loree’s leadership, the company enhanced its advanced manufacturing capabilities, increased operational excellence and responsible business practices, and was recognized as a best workplace for innovators as well as for diversity and inclusion.

“It’s been a privilege to serve as Interim CEO, and I’m proud of the entire SSB team’s commitment to our turnaround efforts,” says Genender. “Over the last eight months, we have successfully relaunched a large portion of our product portfolio, enhanced critical retail relationships, initiated national advertising campaigns, and improved service levels and operating metrics across our plant network. These accomplishments have only been possible through coordination and teamwork across all functions of the organization. We are beginning to see the success of these efforts through regained market share, and we are well positioned for future growth and success.”

I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Serta Simmons Bedding team into the next phase of our company’s turnaround, grounded in progress and profitable growth,” says Loree. “Mark and the leadership team have laid a strong foundation for success, and I look forward to building on the turnaround strategy and developing a strong culture of accountability focused on driving financial results.”

“Jim’s appointment follows a thoughtful search for a permanent CEO by our board of directors. We are confident he is the right choice to help us continue accelerating our turnaround efforts and drive financial results,” Genender adds. “He brings deep experience from Stanley Black & Decker and General Electric and a record of delivering operating and financial results, and I look forward to working closely with him as board chairman as we continue to expand our business and drive profitability.”

The post Serta Simmons Bedding names Jim Loree CEO appeared first on Home News Now.

This is the first Ashley retail location opening for Goffena Furniture, which is a third-generation-family-owned business. The Troy store will employ about 17 people. Ashley, the largest furniture store brand in North America and one of the world’s bestselling home furnishing brands, has more than 1,100 locations worldwide. 

“We are thrilled to bring Ashley, the largest furniture retailer in North America, to Troy,” said Drew Goffena, Goffena Furniture senior vice president. “It’s amazing that we get to bring quality, stylish home furnishings with the hometown family feel of Goffena Furniture to the Troy community.” 

The new store will feature Ashley’s 7.0 store concept, a design approach that allows customers to experience a simplified, bright and open floor plan. The showroom will feature complete lifestyle vignettes, down to the final detail of lighting, rugs and wall art. Product categories include bedroom, dining room, upholstery, leather, occasional tables, home office, youth bedroom, recliners, mattresses and accessories. The store also has a new Ashley mattress gallery, featuring Ashley Sleep, Tempur-Pedic and Purple mattresses. 

The new store’s hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday noon – 5 p.m. Follow @ashleyofficial on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with promotions and events. 

The post Goffena Furniture & Mattress opens its 1st Ashley store in Troy, Ohio appeared first on Home News Now.

Founded in 2014, Theptex (Thailand) Co., Ltd. specializes in high-quality, 100 percent natural latex sheets products, including mattresses of custom shapes, furniture and more. By using the GOLS certified organically grown latex from Thailand’s natural rubber trees, Theptex is able to produce products that have one of the highest percentages of natural latex in the mattress industry, boosting consumers’ health, one sleep at a time.

With close to 100 employees, Theptex is able to supply products to a wide range of countries, including Thailand, China, India, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Laos, Vietnam, Australia, USA, and Europe. Their innovative approach to health-forward mattresses sets them apart from their competitors, using varied approaches to not only aid in peaceful sleep, but to help with various health conditions as well, including orthopedic issues and pressure ulcers.

Their use of pinholes in their mattresses aid in cooling and heating properties naturally, producing a more restful and healthy sleep experience.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming Theptex (Thailand) Co., Ltd. to our international network in an effort to expand our brand’s reach and to experience what the Thailand markets have to offer,” said Nick Bates, president of Spring Air International. “We look forward to many years of watching the company advance in this market while simultaneously advancing our international efforts.”

“With our company’s roots deeply seeded in Thailand’s culture and natural product, Theptex aims to provide a healthy, restful sleep to all consumers, regardless of which mattress they choose. Producing innovative and high-quality products are at the utmost importance to us, and through researching Spring Air’s mattresses, it is clear that their goals align with ours; we were impressed by their efforts on this front,” said Saurabh Gupta, a company director. “As we embark on this journey together, we are committed to achieving our mutual business objectives while creating long-lasting value for our consumers and stakeholders.”

The post Spring Air International adds Thailand to growing licensee base appeared first on Home News Now.

LOGAN, Utah — As part of a restructuring announced this week, Malouf Home has named Mark Thatcher president and Jesse Gibbs as head of business development and rep management.

Thatcher fills a role previously held by Eric Holmstead, who has been president since 2022. Before this he was national sales manager since 2019.

Holmstead will now serve as head of merchandising and global sourcing, addressing challenges on the sourcing side of the business, while also helping manage the development of new products.

“I’ve been working exclusively with our retail partners for the last 10 years, and my strong relationships and understanding of how to succeed in this space will influence the new products we’ll bring to market,” Holmstead said. “We’re already seeing the overwhelmingly positive response to our new mattresses. There are more big opportunities out there for our retail partners and for us, and I’ve already started working on them.”

Thatcher has been with the company as vice president, sales for the past two and a half years and before that was director, business development at case goods manufacturer Maven.

Before this he was director, online marketing and online marketing manager at Icon Health and Fitness for  more than 16 years.

As part of the restructuring, the company sales team has launched a new structure that classifies accounts by size, instead of by region.

“We needed to rethink the types of support we were offering our partners, so we can help maximize their business and offer them the right resources,” Thatcher said. “This new sales structure will create better partnerships with a higher impact for our retailers’ bottom

line.”

Jesse Gibbs has been with the company for just over eight years, previously serving as vice president, national sales, district sales manager and territory sales manager. Before joining Malouf, he was in product development and management roles at HRI Research for more than seven years.

In his new role, the company said that Gibbs is “working to provide more tools and resources for outside sales representatives, so they best serve the needs of retail partners, in addition to strategizing for tradeshows.”

CEO Sam Malouf said, “I believe we’re going to look back on this as a key moment for the company. We are returning to our entrepreneurial core, leveraging market shifts and focusing on our retail partners and customers. There’s a bright future ahead.”

The post Mark Thatcher named president of Malouf Home appeared first on Home News Now.

HICKORY, N.C. — Industry equipment, materials and service providers showing at this past week’s Furniture Manufacturing Expo had a chance to connect with furniture manufacturers hoping for a turnaround if not in the second half, sometime early next year.

Held June 13-14 at the Hickory Metro Convention Center, it featured nearly 100 exhibitors offering equipment ranging from sewing machines to large-scale fabric and leather cutting machines plus materials such as hardware, plywood panels, brackets, nailhead trim, dowels, webbing, adhesives and more for manufacturers and distributors. Many came to visit with existing resources, and many came to meet new resources to help diversify their mix of suppliers.

“With what happened to the supply chain during Covid, I would hope that everyone sees the benefit of having multiple suppliers,” said Mark Hill, a trader with lumber and engineered wood particleboard supplier Richmond International.

With customers in the upholstery and case goods segments as well as wood cabinetry, he noted that the company has shown at the expo for several years. This time around, it saw new customers and prospects from North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey and Ohio and as far west as California.

“This is one of the best shows we do every year because it attracts a lot of decision makers,” he said, noting that the company has warehouses around the country that serve customers in those regions, many of whom buy product in truckloads.

For Richmond and other suppliers, a key purpose of the event is to help educate customers about the services and products available, as opposed to actually selling product. Those buying decisions, more often than not, take place between shows where companies can review their options, similar to large retailers attending a furniture market.

“Right now, the market is flat and it’s not as hard to find stuff,” Hill added, noting that it’s still important for the industry to know what’s available in the marketplace.

Leggett & Platt, for example, showcased new mechanisms for recliners and sleepers, allowing customers to see some of its various innovations in person, including a recliner that converts into a glider rocker. As importantly, it gave the company and its customers a chance to reconnect in a casual and informal setting.

“It’s just an opportunity for us to engage with our customer base,” said Taylor Knuckles, a company sales professional who covers North Carolina and the Northeast. In addition to some customers from up north, he said the show mostly drew existing customers and some prospects  from the North Carolina region as well as Georgia and Tennessee. He agreed that this also is an efficient way for suppliers and their customers to meet in one setting.

“People are wearing multiple hats, so time is of the essence,” he said, adding, that the face-to-face meetings give companies a chance to interact on a personal level. “Everyone’s asking the same question — ‘How’s business?’ 98 to 100% of the suppliers here would give you the same answer — ‘it’s soft right now.’”

For that reason, the company and others are offering new products and solutions aimed at spurring manufacturing efficiencies and/or interest among consumers.

Seat spring manufacturer Barber Manufacturing, for example, showed some of its innovations in the segment, including rigid bar, drop- in construction that features single-cone springs attached to roll-formed steel channel bars. Together, they form a rigid bar drop in for a recliner, that provides more comfort than sinuous spring construction.

A similar type of construction also was available to drop into the frame of a dining chair. (This writer tested it out as he hadn’t seen anything like it in the market previously. The fact that he did the entire interview seated in the chair — without wanting to get up — was one indication this could be a hit at retail.)

“It is more expensive than sinuous (spring support), but we have some customers for it,” noted Jan Miller, general manager, adding that sinuous spring support also has been the norm in recliners.

However, this could be a game changer as the coils provide comfort across the entire seat regardless of the position of the recliner. By comparison, the sinuous springs provide more give in the middle, but are typically more rigid along the front and back of the seat.

Associated Hardwoods was on hand to help educate customers about how it can tailor the specs of wood frames and plywood to the needs of the customer, thus allowing them to do as much or as little of the wood processing as they want in house. 

“Even with it being slow, it’s still a challenge,” said sales associate Jay Osmer regarding labor and getting workers with the right skill sets.

Thus, lumber yield remains a critical element, particularly for furniture manufacturers looking to maximize efficiency and also cut down on material costs.

“The furniture industry is dependent on yield,” Osmer said. “Yield is money.”

The company visited with customers — some from as far away as Texas, with others stopping by from North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee — to help communicate the services and technologies the company can provide not just during a slow economy but also when business improves.

Hickory Springs was on hand to help educate customers — existing and new prospects including upholstery and bedding manufacturers from the Carolinas plus Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee and Massachusetts, to name several — about its many products and services. Part of the education process also was on how some of these products also can help customers improve efficiencies, while also maximizing the comfort level and durability of their products ranging from sofas to mattresses.

Conversations also focused on the state of the economy, noted Jason Porter, vice president of sales for the furniture segment.

“We are asking them and they are asking us, how they are seeing things and how we are seeing things,” he said, adding, “People are optimistic that we will come out of this. The key is timing. We are preparing for what’s coming.”

Miller, of Barber Manufacturing Co., said the company saw both existing customers and new prospects. Here, too, conversations also touched on the economy, with hopes of a turnaround sooner than later.

“It’s feast or famine for a lot of people,” Miller said, adding that middle to upper end is generally not having as hard a time as the lower middle to lower end of the spectrum. Some companies, he noted, are maintaining their workweek, while others are working three- to four-day weeks, with others still working overtime. “But not many,” he said.

Some also noted that in typical election-year fashion, many are waiting to pull the trigger on spending until after Nov. 5. Lower interest rates, they note, also will have a major impact on home buying and selling, which typically spurs furniture sales.  

“Business has been way off for close to a year now,” said Mark Miller, a senior account manager at Beeson, which supplies the industry products ranging from plywood and sandpaper to screws, glue and safety supplies. “Furniture is driven by the overall economy, and consumers are not spending money. And furniture factories are not spending money they don’t have to spend and are very frugal on what they do spend. Everybody is waiting for and hoping for a change in November. You cannot keep going down the path we have been going. … People have been tightening their belts and trying to run smarter and more efficient, and you can only do that for so long.”

He said this was the company’s first year at the show and that he was pleasantly surprised at the depth and breadth of attendance from states as far west as California, Utah and Texas, not to mention Oklahoma, Illinois and Massachusetts.

“I thought this would be a more regional show, and it’s been much broader than that,” he said, noting that this will help with new business prospects.

“We are looking at expanding our customer base,” he said, adding, “Our current customers are very loyal and are giving us everything they can. We are just looking for new customers to broaden our scope.”

The post Furniture Manufacturing Expo offers a glimpse into state of industry appeared first on Home News Now.

Bed Quarter, a company founded 27 years ago, has a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the Sudair Industrial Area, north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and operates more than 40 mattress stores in the region. As part of the agreement, it will manufacture and distribute the Eclipse brand in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and expand into North Africa in partnership with BIA.

“The Bed Quarter executive team is comprised of very experienced mattress producers in the region, some of whom we worked with years ago, so we are excited about what they will be able to do to expand the Eclipse brand in the region,” said Stuart Carlitz, founder of BIA. “They are not only great manufacturers, but also great retailers with a strong direct-to-consumer business. They have a keen understanding of the mattress shopper in the region and can really use that knowledge to help retailers in other countries benefit from flooring Eclipse products in their showrooms.”

“Eclipse is an outstanding brand that embodies the best of American design and manufacturing, something that many customers and retailers in our region are looking for today,” said Abdul Salam Al Mazro of MAZ Holding Group. “We are so happy to add the exciting Eclipse brand, which has more than 100 Years of history and legacy. Its special patented spinal zone technology, approved by COCSA to our existing branded line of bedding retail business, will strengthen our position in the region.”

“I am so happy to be working with Stuart and his team once again, added Arun Sharma, chief executive officer of MAZ Holding Group.. “There is a lot of opportunity for us to grow sales in this area with our Bed Quarter retail stores.”

The post BIA expands its presence in the Middle East, North Africa with new license agreement appeared first on Home News Now.