by Company offers a wide mix of living room furniture including upholstery and occasional tables plus dining tables and side pieces
HIGH POINT — Debrah International is looking to expand its presence in the U.S. market with a line of upper-middle-priced Chinese-made upholstery and case goods produced in its Guangzhou, China, factory.
The company debuted the brand last October with a showroom at 110 W. Commerce Ave. and then returned this past April. Having gained some interest and attention from retailers and designers alike, it is returning for next week’s October market with plans to offer 90% of what it’s showing through a new warehouse in Madison, North Carolina.
In addition to living room furniture that includes upholstery and occasional, the line offers dining room tables and chairs, sideboards and consoles, bookcases/display units, mirrors, bar units and bar stools, to name several key categories.
It is produced in a 1-million-square-foot factory in Guangzhou that ships some $50 million in product each year for its own franchise retail stores in China as well as B2B wholesale and hospitality clients. In addition to wholesalers in Europe, the company also sells to retailers in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Dubai.
At one time, it did more business with wholesalers in the U.S. but its business was impacted by tariffs, a key reason it is looking to sell direct to retail through its own showroom here.
A key differentiator among other manufacturers, particularly in Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, is its ability to work with mixed media elements such as stainless steel, which forms the bases of dining tables, chairs and consoles, to name a few key items. The line also incorporates Caledonia marble and Italian ceramics used for the tops of consoles and cocktail tables.
These looks also combine with other materials such as glass and walnut and oak veneers to create a contemporary aesthetic throughout the line.
In the upholstery segment, some sofas and sectionals feature curved forms and/or low profiles that combine with metal bases and legs to create a soft modern lifestyle look that is popular in today’s marketplace. Fabric and leather options are also available on various pieces in the line.
The company believes its mixed media aesthetic, in particular, along with the contemporary forms found throughout the mix will appeal to a large swath of retailers and designers alike who have already expressed interest in the line.
“We have the capacity to do three to four times more,” said Tom De Wulf, sales director and product designer, of the company’s current production capacity. “Everything is produced under one roof. There are no five factories worldwide that can do what we do.”
De Wulf said the company’s North Carolina warehouse, being run by a third-party operator, is ramping up this fall and will stock 90% of what is shown at its showroom at 110 W. Commerce Ave. Products also can be shipped direct from the factory on full and mixed containers, with no minimum order quantities required.
“After showing two times at the High Point Market we understand we need to have the goods in the warehouse and adapt more to the U.S. way of doing the business,” De Wulf said.
The model, officials note, will make the line available to a wide mix of customers, from designers and small boutique-type retailers to Top 125 accounts.
“Now that we are doing this, we have a good future in the U.S. I am confident we can build up a good business here that meets U.S. standards,” De Wulf said. “We have a niche market. Our price point is not the cheapest, but it is also not the most expensive.”
