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.

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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.”

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Machinery ranged from large-scale fabric and leather cutting machines to smaller sewing machines and embroidery equipment. Resources were also on hand with the latest components, ranging from hardware and hardwood samples to spring seating and sleeper mechanisms. Home News Now captured much of this with photos taken on the show floor. To catch a glimpse of the varied displays and people we saw at the event, scroll through the slideshow below.

Tom Inman, left, president of Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc., and Steve Walters, of Richelieu USA, at the Appalachian Hardwood booth during the show.

Atlanta Attachment Co., a sister company of Hickory Springs, showcased some of its sewing, cutting, material handling and custom equipment for the furniture and mattress industries.

Consew and Meistergram showcased some of their latest sewing and cutting equipment at the show.

A show attendee checks out some of the multiple products offered by Heico Fasteners, ranging from decorative hardware and nailheads to dowels, webbing, zippers and more.

Richelieu USA also showed a wide mix of products ranging from screws and decorative hardware to hinges, drawer slides, lighting, glues, finishing products and more. It has an estimated 145,000 items in stock across industry segments and also has access to another 200,000 SKUs for special orders, the company told Home News Now.

Pathfinder Cutting Technology brought one of its fabric-cutting machines to the show, where it provided live demonstrations of its latest technologies in the sector.

Andre MacDonough, a field technician at Zund, showed off equipment that determines how to nest patterns to be cut on a piece of leather. The goal is to minimize waste and improve yield and efficiency in the cutting of leather and fabric.

Zund occupied a space near the front entrance of the exhibit hall, providing visitors a view of some of its cutting equipment in action.

ABM International, a resource for industrial quilting machines, showed some of the patterns that its equipment can produce, offering customers a glimpse at its many custom capabilities in such processes.

The process of custom embroidery is shown on a machine that ABM International brought to the show.

More vendors are seen at the show on Friday. They said traffic was noticeably lighter on the second day of the event, but were still seeing existing customers and new prospects alike. The show allowed vendors to educate customers about their equipment, products and services in hopes of boosting their business in the second half and beyond.

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To submit new or trending products, email editor Alex Milstein at alex@homenewsnow.com with:

• High-quality images on a white background, at least 300 dpi. No lifestyle images. Images cannot have text on them.
• Description of each product (brief 50-75 words describing the product — product/collection name, design, materials, price, unique qualities or inspiration behind your product).
• Company information (name, phone number, website).
• Las Vegas showroom (number and location).

The deadline to submit is July 12.

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While they are separate events, there is a connection between the two of them.

Let me explain.

On Oct. 25, the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association is hosting its annual Furniture Industry Awards Gala at the Qubein Center at High Point University.

On Aug. 7-8, The American Home Furnishings Alliance hosts a must-attend Regulatory Summit at The Conference Center at Guilford Technical Community College in Colfax, North Carolina. 

By now, you are probably wondering where the connection is between IHFRA’s gala, which honors outstanding industry leaders, and the AHFA’s summit.

The common denominator here is Andy Counts, the CEO of the AHFA. Andy leads the outstanding team at the AHFA, which does so much for our industry, in part, with events like this upcoming summit.

Because of his dedication to our industry in his role as CEO, Andy is also being recognized at IHFRA’s gala as a pillar of our industry, in part, for organizing ongoing educational events such as this one.

Andy will be joined by IHFRA’s other honorees this year, including Caroline Hipple of Hooker, Broad River Retail, Tammy Covington Nagim of the High Point Market Authority and others.

I would strongly encourage you to attend and support both events.

In the case of AHFA’s summit, it has the distinction of being the industry’s only educational asset to address the key regulatory and legislative issues that impact the home furnishings industry. 

In recognition of the fact that companies in our sector will have to face recently implemented and soon-to-be-implemented product safety and environmental regulations, AHFA has designated 2024 as the year of Compliance: Where the Rubber Meets the Road.

My hat is off to Andy and his team for arranging to have Peter Feldman, a commissioner on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, keynote the event and discuss the steps the CPSC is taking to enforce the new federal stability standard for clothing storage furniture that applies to units with a manufacture date of September 2023 or later. 

Worth noting is that back in 2022, Feldman was the only commissioner to vote against adoption of a stability rule drafted by CPSC staff that year. The Senate had already unanimously passed the STURDY Act, and Feldman argued that the commission should wait and gauge the outcome of that effort, but the CSPC chose to move forward and adopt its own rule. 

That move by the CPSC prompted the AHFA to take legal action to delay the rule being implemented.

In a statement made last year, Feldman observed that had the CPSC waited a few months it would have “significant confusion, costly litigation and wasted commission resources.” 

In addition to Feldman, other compliance-focused sessions will include a case study of navigating a CPSC compliance audit, an update on the Environmental Protection Agency’s risk assessment for formaldehyde, a refresher course on California Prop 65 compliance and so much more.

When it comes to compliance, what you don’t know can, and probably will, hurt you.

If you would like more information about FIAG, email me at rallegrezza@IHFRA.org. If you want to know more about the AHFA summit, click here: registration.

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NORMANDY, France — Hilbert “Hibby” Margol, a veteran of the furniture industry and World War II, received France’s highest military and civilian award, the National Order of the Legion of Honour, during a ceremony marking this week’s 80th anniversary of the D-Day Allied landing in Normandy.

Margol, who turned 100 earlier this past spring, was one of 11 American veterans who was honored during the commemoration of the landing. He received the medal of honor from France President Emmanuel Macron and was congratulated by U.S. President Joe Biden at the ceremony.

While he was not part of the actual D-Day landing, he fought in France as part of the 392^nd Field Artillery Battalion, 42^nd Infantry Division.

Margol and his late brother Howard, and their associate Mike Belford, were the co-founders of former Furniture Today Top 100 Retailer Nationwide Warehouse & Storage in Norcross, Georgia. It was an offshoot of their original business Hotel & Mattress Supply, which marketed mattresses around the country.

The Margol family ran the Southern division of Nationwide out of Norcross, and the Belford family ran the Northern division out of Columbus, Ohio.

According to a 2001 Furniture Today ranking, the retailer was No. 30 on the Top 100 list, with 159 stores and estimated sales of $219.1 million in 2000.

An estimated 180 American veterans made the journey to Normandy to commemorate the anniversary. Many were flown over to France courtesy of Delta Airlines.

Bob O’Neill, industry veteran and founding director of The Monday Co., also attended the event. He first got to know the Margol family through his time at supplier Rosalco, and he and his family have remained friends with the Margol family ever since.

“Having an apartment in Paris, it was my great honor to see my good friend and former major customer, Hibby Margol, get honored by both the French and U.S. presidents to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D Day,” O’Neill told Home News Now. 

“Hibby is a true American war hero and entrepreneur,” O’Neill added. “He always encouraged me to think big when I was a 20-some-year-old Georgia sales rep calling on him in the 1970s. He would always be available as a business mentor to me as my career expanded. It gave me great pride as an American and as a furniture man to be in France for this event.” 

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Leading the charge for the retailer’s heart-healthy initiatives is Andrew Koenig, chief executive officer of City Furniture, alongside his wife Deana. As chairs of the 2024 Broward Heart Ball, they have been at the forefront of encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating well, exercising, and monitoring blood pressure.

“City Furniture’s commitment to fighting heart disease is embedded in our DNA,” Andrew Koenig said. “For over seven years, our fundraising efforts have empowered communities to take action and embrace heart-healthy living. Together with the AHA, our associates, and customers, we will continue to champion heart health and make a positive impact on our community.”

City Furniture’s efforts to support the AHA included inviting associates and customers to join them in raising crucial funds and awareness for heart health. As part of this campaign, the company encouraged customers to “Test Rest” a mattress in any of its showrooms. For each test, City donated to the AHA and rewarded customers with a gift card.

Expanding its reach across Florida, from Miami to Vero Beach and into Southwest and Central Florida, City’s initiatives have made and continue to make a significant impact:

+ Distributed heart-healthy food resources to 150,000 individuals at Mobile School Pantry and the Miami Dade College Pantry.

+ Shared “Healthy Starts at Home” resources with 12,000 individuals.

+ Provided 177 infant CPR Kits, 90 blood pressure monitors and 50 New Mom Kits (includes both infant CPR kits and blood pressure monitors) for expecting families and high risk mothers.

+ Donated 23 life-saving CPR and First Aid Anywhere Kits to United Way Houses, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast, and the Girls Scouts of Tropical Florida.

+ Donated 30 individual CPR Anytime kits and a stiped for an AED to the Girls Scouts of Tropical Florida

“City Furniture is committed to promoting heart health, supporting initiatives, and making a positive impact right here in South Florida,” said Marisol Garcia, executive director for the American Heart Association’s Greater Miami and Fort Lauderdale market. “We are grateful for the teams unwavering support through lifesaving donations and awareness campaigns. Together we are striving to create a healthier tomorrow.”

Additionally, City partnered with Florida Panthers and AHA to host a “Heart Dash” event at Amerant Bank Arena, promoting CPR training and heart health. During the event, local youth hockey players participated in a Heart Dash, showcasing their commitment to heart health awareness through physical activity on the ice. City also donated a CPR kit to the Panthers IceDen equipping young athletes with essential CPR skills to potentially save lives in cardiac emergencies.

All of these initiatives are part of CITY Furniture’s 5% Giving Pledge, which dedicates a minimum of five percent of net profits annually to building stronger communities.

Celebrating 100 years of saving lives nationwide, the AHA unites communities to honor those touched by heart disease and raise awareness and funds for a world without heart disease. CITY’s partnership and Mr. Koenig’s involvement with the AHA honors City’s founder, Kevin Koenig, who lost his life to heart disease, and benefits the local community through awareness around heart health education.

To learn more about City’s “Test Rest” initiative and its support of the AHA through City’s 5% Giving Pledge, visit: https://www.cityfurniture.com/company/city-cares

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Hipple and Belshaw will highlight important lessons they’ve learned throughout their career and how to navigate leadership in today’s world bringing pragmatic, thought-provoking and inspiring messages from those who are leading our industry into the future.

The conference is being held June 10-12 in Greenville, South Carolina. There is still time for industry professionals to register for the in-person conference. You can find a complete agenda of speakers at withit.org.

WithIt will again offer a virtual streaming ticket option for its annual professional conference on June 11^th and June 12th.

“WithIt’s mission to provide educational opportunities to women in the home furnishings industry means that we recognize the importance of reaching a broader audience of people through virtual programs,” says WithIt’s Executive Director, Amy Van Dorp. “Our streaming ticket allows access to the main stage speakers and panels through RingCentral Events (formerly Hopin) where ticket holders can interact with other and attendees and take part in speed networking.”

The virtual ticket offers live streaming of the five keynote speakers and a communication panel on the main stage both Tuesday and Wednesday morning from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm eastern standard time. The cost for virtual tickets is $75 which can be purchased at withit.org. Links to recordings will be available to ticket holders following the event.

WithIt’s streaming ticket is sponsored by the WithIt Scholarship Foundation which recognizes the need for leadership development for women in the home furnishings industry. 

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AHFA’s Summit is the industry’s only educational event addressing regulatory and legislative issues that impact the home furnishings industry. With companies facing newly implemented and soon-to-be-implemented product safety and environmental regulations, AHFA has designated 2024 as the year of Compliance: Where the Rubber Meets the Road.

In keeping with the 2024 compliance theme, Feldman has been asked to address steps the CPSC is taking to enforce the new federal stability standard for clothing storage furniture that applies to units with a manufacture date of September 2023 or later.

In October 2022, Feldman was the only commissioner to vote against adoption of a stability rule drafted by CPSC staff that year. The Senate had already unanimously passed the STURDY Act, which recommended looking at ASTM International’s F2057-23 standard for the framework of the new mandatory standard required under STURDY. Feldman argued the commission should “pause to see the outcome of that effort.” Instead, the agency forged ahead and adopted its own rule, resulting in legal action initiated by AHFA to delay the rule’s implementation.

Shortly thereafter, STURDY was enacted into law. Had the commission held off just a few months, it could have avoided “significant confusion, costly litigation and wasted Commission resources,” Feldman maintained in an April 2023 statement upon the commission’s adoption of ASTM F2057-23 as the mandatory federal stability standard.

Feldman joined the commission in 2018 after Joseph Mohorovic resigned his seat one year before the completion of his term. After completing Mohorovic’s term, Feldman was renominated and confirmed to a seven-year term expiring in October 2026. Prior to joining the commission, Feldman served as senior counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Additional compliance-focused sessions on the 2024 Summit agenda include a case history on navigating a CPSC compliance audit; a review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s risk assessment for formaldehyde and its future impact on exposure limits; and a refresher course on California Prop 65 compliance. The program also includes an update on new online labeling laws and a deep dive into PFAS reporting requirements and the future impact of this data on the home furnishings industry.

Building on last year’s successful break-out sessions, the Summit also includes opportunities for a focused look at several key topics, among them the status of revisions to the ASTM tip restraint standard, an update on the proposed new ASTM recliner safety standard and an overview of how environmental regulations are impacting furniture packaging.

Summit registration includes a light breakfast and lunch both days, plus a cocktail reception with Commissioner Feldman sponsored by Benchmark International on Wednesday, August 7. For those requiring overnight accommodations, a discounted group rate is available at the Springhill Suites by Marriott/Greensboro Airport. Summit registration is $225 for AHFA members; $1,225 for non-members.

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The meeting kicked off the cooperative’s annual symposium in Arlington, Texas. The three-day meeting was attended by a record-setting 370+ retailers and sponsors, the largest attendance ever for Furniture First. Highlights of the symposium included the retail-centric Best Idea competition and a keynote by sales and leadership expert Ryan Estis.

In the Best Idea competition Furniture First Members, in groups of 10 per round table, presented an idea that made a difference to their business. Ideas ranged from marketing strategies to operational processes that make life easier and business more profitable. At the end of the session each table voted on a winner. Each winner then had the opportunity to present their winning idea to all attendees at dinner, who then voted for the Best Idea in the Room via the event app. This year’s winner was Pam Miller of Miller Home Furniture & Mattress in Falls Creek, Pennsylvania, who shared a strategy that leveraged a customer loyalty program to off-set operational expenses.

Ryan Estis, who spoke at the group’ 2019 symposium as well as this year’s event, related several of the themes of his new book “Prepare for Impact: Driving Growth and Serving Others through the Principles of Human-Centered Leadership.” Furniture First members at the symposium received a copy of the book courtesy of Furniture First partner and symposium sponsor TD Retail Card Services. 

At the conclusion of this year’s symposium, the location and dates for next year’s event were announced: Hilton West Palm Beach & Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, June 2-4, 2025.

Following the symposium, the Furniture First board and staff remained in Arlington for a planning meeting. Several new benefits and initiatives will be developed as a result of the planning.

“It’s great to kick off the tenure of our new board members with an in-person planning meeting,” said Andrew Kauffman, chief executive officer of Furniture First. “It helps them to get to know our staff better and understand the full scope of the services we offer.” Retailers beginning their board terms include Matt Huber of Belfort Furniture in Dulles, Virginia, John Lott of Lott’s Furniture in Waycross, Georgia, and Michael Fiacco of Old Brick Furniture in Albany, New York.

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