BEING in business is a family affair.

For more than 80 years, three generations of the Garstang family have worked in the family firm, weaving rushes and cane seating for chairs and bedroom furniture.

Their workshop was established in the 1920s by James Garstang, and his son William followed on when he left school.

Dave also joined the business – based at the Red Scar Industrial Estate in Ribbleton, Preston – in 1980 at the age of 15. Read more »

Thomasville is struggling with job losses and plant closings, problems reflected in the city’s proposed 2007-08 budget.

City Manager Kelly Craver has proposed a $30 million budget, which is about 1 percent more than the current fiscal year. The budget would cut the property-tax rate from 57 cents for every $100 of assessed value to 56 cents.

Thomasville Furniture Industries Inc. has closed plants and cut jobs for several years. In April, the company announced that it would cut 330 jobs, including 102 in the city, and close three plants.

It was the 10th layoff at Thomasville Furniture since March 2001. The company has cut more than 3,000 jobs in that time. Plant closings mean lost property-tax revenue, a problem with which the city of Lexington is also struggling. Read more »

La-Z-Boy recently honored Deckers Furniture by awarding the Tiffin retailer for outstanding multi-store performance in the Midwest region.

The award is in recognition for Deckers’ percentage increase based on shipments for 2006.

“We’re all proud of our accomplishment,” said Steve Decker, president of Deckers Furniture. “It’s a goal we set out the year before.”

Fred Decker, vice president of Deckers Furniture, said the company has carried the La-Z-Boy line since 1978. Read more »

FeldmanFurniture.com is making online furniture shopping one step easier with Google Checkoutâ„¢. Google Checkoutâ„¢ makes paying for online purchases simpler than ever by allowing customers to pay for goods using their Google Checkoutâ„¢ accounts or their credit/debit cards.

FeldmanFurniture.com specializes in selling discount furniture, such as bedroom furniture, dining room furniture, and living room furniture. Most of the furniture comes pre-assembled and is backed by a low-price guarantee. “The prevalence of online shopping has increased dramatically over the past three to five years,” said FeldmanFurniture.com President, Eugene Libes. “Our goal is to stay on top of technologies so that the customer experience is as positive and simple as possible.” Read more »

Pakistan plans to increase its furniture exports to $ 1 billion by the year 2015 from the existing level of $ 15 million.

” Government’s strategy to maximise the exports of non-traditional items like furniture will definitely help achieve this lofty but doable goal,” Chairman of newly formed company, Furniture Pakistan, Shahbaz Aslam told a news conference here Saturday.

He said that the company, formed on the basis of public-private partnership, would spend Rs 590 million for the establishment of furniture training institute to produce skilled manpower.

He said, initially, training institutes would be established in Chiniot and Peshawar which would produce skilled manpower and while collaboration would be sought from Germany and Italy to impart training to the master trainers. Read more »

The 2007 Las Vegas Summer Furniture Market, July 30 – August 3, 2007, will feature a three-part series by furniture industry gurus entitled ConsumerWatch, ColorWatch and TrendWatch. The series is designed to help buyers see the full gamut of trend - from color palettes to consumer preferences - for the year ahead.

“These seminars will prove to be very valuable for buyers and designers who want to get a broad view of what’s happening in the world from design, color, retail and consumers to demographics and societal shifts,” said Dana Andrew, director of marketing and public relations for World Market Center.

At this summer’s Market, Maxine Lauer, founder and president of Sphere Trending LLC, will present a ConsumerWatch seminar on Tuesday, July 31 at 10:00 a.m. in World Market Center’s Building B that will cover big-picture macro trends that cause consumers to shop, think and live differently, and how that affects the future. Sphere Trending brings together macro and micro trend information and focuses on the “why” behind “what’s new.” Read more »

Natuzzi SpA will cut back working hours at its manufacturing plants in Italy, according to a report from Reuters.

The maker of high-end furniture did not say there would be any impact on its Natuzzi Americas division, which is based in High Point.

Natuzzi said it would cut back shifts to five hours from eight in its Italian plants for the next 13 weeks, as a result of challenging business conditions in all of its markets, including the Americas. In the first quarter, sales fell 27.3 percent in the Americas, and 14.4 percent in Europe.

If you have begun dragging your outdoor furniture from its winter resting place, and it looks a little less than pristine, there is a surefire way of adding some pizzaz to your patio — just add a few yards of fabric!

When your patio furniture seems stark and uninviting, or if the once comfortable cushions leave you feeling totally uninspired, you won’t have to look far to find some really durable sun resistant fabrics.Â

Just a couple of yards of fabric may be all that’s needed to soften the hard edges of the furniture and add a spark of interest to an otherwise lackluster setting. Read more »

La-Z-Boy and England Custom Furniture Direct operations will remain open.

The owner of Gerondale’s Home Furniture Galleries in Shoppes at the Village shopping center, 2605 S. Oneida St., Ashwaubenon, said Wednesday it will close.

Bruce Gerondale, the third-generation owner of the 54-year old furniture store, said Gerondale’s La-Z-Boy and England Custom Furniture Direct operations, 2665 S. Oneida, will remain open. Read more »

Several homeless people trying to cook a meal may have accidentally started the two-alarm fire that gutted a Surrey furniture store early Monday morning.

“It was either a bonfire or a cooking fire,” said Surrey deputy fire chief Gord Anderson. “We found buns and ketchup and mustard.”

The blaze started at a rear entrance of the “Furniture Rooms to Go” store at 13570 78 Avenue about 2:47 a.m. Read more »