The news about the economy isn’t all bad. Spring Lake based izzydesign, an office furniture maker, is growing.

This afternoon the company announced signing a letter of intent to buy holding firm Jami Inc based in Kansas City. The company makes furniture under several brands.

Jami employs 400 people at three plants in Indiana, Kansas, and Alabama. Izzydesign has about 220 workers. A news release on the company’s website says the deal is expected to close in May.

Alexander County got some good news recently with the announcement of a new production plant in Taylorsville — a furniture plant.

Indiana-based Jasper Group, a commercial furniture maker for nearly 80 years, will create 40 local jobs in an abandoned furniture factory building.

The plant will be in a 93,000-square-foot facility off N.C. 16 South that Kincaid Furniture vacated a year ago.

Company officials expect to start production by this summer, said Alexander County Economic Development Corp. Director David Icenhour. Read more »

Wickes Furniture, Inc. Saturday began liquidating inventory at 38 of its stores by order of a U.S. federal bankruptcy judge, the company said.

As a part of the company’s $75 million liquidation plan, the retailer plans discounts of up to 50 percent at stores in California, Illinois, Indiana and Nevada.

Closing sales will start later this month at five stores in Oregon, a company statement said.

The liquidation is being managed by a joint venture comprised of Hilco Merchant Resources LLC, SB Capital Group LLC, Tiger Capital Group LLC and Planned Furniture Promotions, Inc. Read more »

Outdoor furniture once meant woven plastic folding chairs with hollow aluminum frames. Or wooden picnic tables. Or white stackable resin chairs.

These days, the trend is to extend a home’s living space outside with furniture fit for Cleopatra – or Hollywood’s elite. It’s the resort-spa-luxury look on the deck, patio or pool.

Richard Frinier talks about it in a column posted on the High Point International Home Furnishings Market Web site, www.highpoint market.org. He writes of what he calls “Resort-at-Home” trends, “bringing the essence of world travel to our own backyards.”
Whether it’s a double chaise with canopy from Restoration Hardware’s Antibes collection or a Plantation Siesta and Canopy sofa from Gloster, the new furniture is designed to make you forget about folding furniture and plastic Adirondack chairs stacked high at supermarkets. Read more »

Despite declining sales, Champion Industries Inc. reported a second-quarter profit of nearly $1.4 million.

The Huntington-based commercial printing and business furniture supplier’s net income of $1,390,000 translated to 14 cents per share. Champion’s second-quarter net income was down from the same period in 2006, when the company earned a record $1.57 million, or 16 cents per share.

Revenues fell by 9.6 percent, from $37.4 million in the second quarter of 2006 to $33.8 million, Champion said.

Champion’s printing segment saw sales drop by $2.8 million, while the office products and office furniture segment’s sales fell by $2.1 million.

“Although our sales declined from the previous year, we were able to record one of our best second quarters from an earnings perspective, indicating improved flexibility and elasticity in our operating model,” said Marshall Reynolds, Champion’s chairman and chief executive officer. Read more »

The furniture industry is very important in Adams County and, more specifically, in Berne. The city is known as the furniture capital of Indiana.

But just who came up with that title?

According to Connie Potter, executive director of the Berne Chamber of Commerce, an employee of one of the four original furniture factories noticed that for a town the size of Berne, there was a lot of furniture being made and decided to call the city the furniture capital of Indiana.

“It’s pretty much a self-proclaimed thing, but nobody’s ever disputed it,” Potter said. “I guess you could just say it fits.”

At one time, Berne was home to four furniture factories and three furniture stores. The four factories were Dunbar Furniture Co., Berne Furniture, Smith Brothers of Berne and Swiss City Furniture. Read more »

Furniture Row® Companies are expanding their presence in Spokane with the construction of a new Furniture Row Shopping Center. The Center will contain four specialty furniture stores in one convenient location. The Center is located at 13410 E. Indiana Ave., just past the Evergreen exit and west of the Valley Mall. The store’s brands include Oak Express®, Bedroom Expressions®, Sofa Mart® and Denver Mattress Company®. The new Center will open Friday, May 25, 2007. Store hours are Mon-Sat 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sun 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

“The Center will bring a unique furniture shopping experience to the area,” said Bill McKendry, Marketing Director for Furniture Row® Companies. “Unlike other furnishings retailers, our centers have four specialty stores at one destination. Each store focuses on a particular category, and each store is managed and staffed with people who are extremely knowledgeable about their specific lines. And, best of all, they all guarantee their prices to be the lowest.” Read more »

Outdoor furniture once meant woven plastic folding chairs with hollow aluminum frames.

Or wooden picnic tables. Or white stackable resin chairs.
These days, the trend is to extend a home’s living space outside with furniture fit for Cleopatra – or Hollywood’s elite.

It’s the resort-spa-luxury look brought home to deck, patio or pool.

Richard Frinier talks about it in a column posted on the High Point International Home Furnishings Market Web site, www.highpointmarket.org. Read more »

Leath Furniture is going out of business, according to sales fliers the company mailed to customers this week.

Its store at 107 S. Mall Drive, Normal, will start liquidation sales May 24 and close when inventory is gone, said Roy Hester, an investor in the Atlanta, Ga.-based Leath chain and vice president of sales for liquidator Planned Furniture Promotions Inc.

Rising competition and costs led to the company’s demise, he said.

“It’s kind of a perfect storm of many factors,” Hester said, referring to rising costs associated with moving from downtown locations to suburban areas. Read more »

Wickes Furniture Company, Inc., a Sun Capital Investment Company and one of the nation’s largest furniture retailers, has announced grand opening plans for its two new retail showrooms in Beaumont and Corona, Calif.

Grand opening festivities are scheduled April 28 and 29 at the recently opened showrooms at 1482 Second St., Beaumont (in the new San Gorgonio Village shopping center) and 3615 Grand Oaks, Corona (exit off the Corona Pkwy. at Cajalco Rd.). Highlights at both locations include: Read more »