The 19th edition of China International Furniture Fair (Guangzhou) (CIFF) was concluded with gratifying results on March 30th at the Chinese Export Commodities Fair (CECF) Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou.

The 1st phase of the events featured home furniture, staged from March 18th to 21st, together with Homedecor & Housewares China 2007 (March). While the 2nd phase focused on office/commercial furniture, along with Hometextile China 2007 (March) and interzum guangzhou 2007 from March 27th to 30th. Read more »

Maku Furnishings debuted its outdoor furniture collection influenced by the green manufacturing movement, action sports and the California aesthetic at the International Contemporary Fair’s West Coast design pavilion in New York in May.

Founded by action sports industry veteran Johnny West and business partner J. Michael Johnson, San Diego-based Maku Furnishings makes home lifestyle products with contemporary designs using natural materials and a mix of handcrafted artistry. Its first outdoor furniture brand was designed to capture the West Coast outdoors aesthetic, especially for generations X and Y, which grew up with action sports being mainstream.

“For over 15 years, I have been developing, branding, marketing and selling products that have helped shape generations X and Y,” said West, CEO and co-founder. “The icons of today’s modern generations are the surfers, snowboarders and skateboarders that live every day of their lives with passion and verve. When I look at the home furnishings industry, I see an opportunity to share that passion for living by bringing a more relevant product and story to the consumer.” Read more »

Furniture Brands International, Inc. announced the elimination of approximately 80 executive and administrative employees across the entire company; the closure of 3 manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, resulting in the elimination of approximately 150 employees; and the elimination of approximately 100 employees related to ongoing manufacturing operations across the company.

The company estimates this move will generate annualized savings of approximately $13 million.

Workforce Reduction
The eliminated executive and administrative positions represent approximately 5 percent of the company’s non-manufacturing workforce. Read more »

Haverty Furniture, Atlanta, will release first quarter earnings results on Wednesday evening and hold a conference call on Thursday, the 120-store chain announced recently.

As one of the largest publicly traded furniture retailers, Haverty’s results are always watched closely by industry observers. The first-quarter announcement comes after the company said sales in March decreased 11.6 percent to $66.1 million and same-store sales decreased 10.4 percent. Sales in February decreased by 10.9 percent, and results for January showed a 3 percent decline.