Cabinet Maker articles from April 2002

Cabinet Maker archives from April 2002

Growth drops a gear.
April 5, 2002... The number of furniture and floorcoverings retailers who saw annual sales growth fell sharply in March. According to the CBI Distributive Trades Survey a balance of 3% of stores increased sales, compared with March 2001. A balance of 51%...

Sales as changeable as the Easter weather.
April 5, 2002... The mixture of clouds and sunny spells over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend was also reflected in the pattern of sales over the period. Consumers basked in the warm weather of the first few days of the holiday but returned to stores with a...

Small problem with kitchens.
April 5, 2002... Judges for Royal Institute of British Architects' Kitchen in the 21st Century Home design competition, sponsored by MFI, anticipated that many kitchens will incorporate Internet and media technology (see p2). It sounds wonderful but its...

Contemporary move for Bretts of Ipswich.
April 5, 2002... Traditional furniture retailer Bretts of Ipswich is to open a contemporary showroom later this month (20 April). On the outskirts of Ipswich town centre, the 6,000sqft store will stock middle market sofas, chairs, beds, recliners and...

Latest additions to McDonagh Furniture's Fusion range.
April 5, 2002... The latest additions to McDonagh Furniture's Fusion range are in-store. A glass display unit and tall entertainment unit (pictured), glass corner unit, and corner TV stand are targeted at consumers seeking small but functional cabinet pieces....

New chief for Airsprung.
April 5, 2002... Airsprung Furniture has followed Cornwell Parker and turned to the DIY sector to find a chief executive. Hand and garden tool company Spear & Jackson group md Tony Lisanti will join as chief executive on 29 April. He was with the company...

Leekes in relocation threat.
April 5, 2002... Welsh retailer Leekes has threatened to move its headquarters to Wiltshire, with the loss of 400 jobs, in a row with its local council. The three-store chain is demanding Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council improve a 200metre single...

Wellbeck move.
April 5, 2002... Upholstery firm Wellbeck House has relocated its sales and administration departments to Unit D, Long Eaton Industrial Estate, Fields Farm Road, Long Eaton NG10 1GG. Details, tel: 0115 946 9333. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Property profit.
April 5, 2002... Merchant Retail Group has made a #400,000 profit on the #3m sale of a surplus property in St Helier, Jersey. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Testing changes.
April 5, 2002... FIRA has published information on recent changes to standards and the implication for testing of tables, office furniture, seat structures and storage furniture. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Seating buy.
April 5, 2002... Roneo Systems Furniture has bought office seating firm HQ Design Furniture from founder Adam Dunn. Dunn has become seating business manager at Roneo. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Distribution deal.
April 5, 2002... Fabric firm Malabar has agreed distribution agreements with seven USA companies. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Allders refurb.
April 5, 2002... Allders is to invest #8.7m refurbishing its Arding & Hobbs, south west London store. It is selling a 10,000sqft carpet warehouse to a house building company for #3.95m. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Thomasville designs make an impression in UK.
April 5, 2002... Art Forma unveiled furniture and upholstery from American firm Thomasville at its At Home last week (18-28 March). Acting as the UK agent for the North Carolina company, Art Forma sales director Anthony Matthias said he was `encouraged' by...

Wonderwall for future kitchens.
April 5, 2002... Kitchens of the future will feature media screens and Internet technology with freestanding island, linear or corner designs against a wall or pods which open or move on activation. These were the three trends to emerge from the Royal...

Indigo to open its third store.
April 5, 2002... Eastern importer Indigo is to open its third store following success in Bath and London. Located in Pewsley Vale, Wiltshire, the 10,000sqft branch will house restored antique furniture from India, China, Japan and Indonesia. Offering...

Seat of success.
April 5, 2002... Designer Martin Grierson has won the #10,000 Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers Jubilee design competition. The competition was to design seating for the Wallace Collection, London, suitable for use throughout the building - from modern...

Your questions answered.
April 5, 2002... Q: We supplied a table and chairs to a customer two months ago. The next day the customer telephoned to say they had cleaned them with oven cleaner, stripping the top surface off the table, and asked if there was anything they could do to put...

Sanderson opts for historic opulence.
April 5, 2002... Sanderson has launched the V&A Elizabethan collection of fabrics and wallcoverings, inspired by the opulence of the Tudor and Stuart periods. The designs are based on exhibits from the Victoria & Albert Museum's British Galleries...

Igoe Furniture introduces bedroom cabinet range.
April 5, 2002... Igoe Furniture has introduced the MDF Sasha bedroom cabinet range (pictured). Wardrobes feature height-adjustable castors and doors, while chests of drawers are finished in beech. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

The best laid plans.
April 5, 2002... John Seacome reveals why apparently trouble free planning applications can still, in Burns' words, `leave us nought but grief and pain' While the majority of planning applications receive permission, some proceeding more smoothly than...

Counter compensation culture.
April 5, 2002... As the compensation culture grows, it's in retailers' best interests to resolve disputes before they end up in court, says Michael Morgan In an earlier article we looked at the rise and fall of the armchair shopper, and the implications...

London calling.
April 5, 2002... Unseasonably cold wet weather did little to dampen the enthusiasm of designers eager to gauge coming trends at London Design Week London Design Week is the launchpad for many spring/summer furniture and furnishing collections....

Welsh rarebit.
April 5, 2002... Elspeth Pridham meets The Bed Company Wales and finds a small, enthusiastic manufacturer keen to tailor its range to the needs of the retailer Last year, The Bed Company Wales launched the Galaxy series of beds. This high design range...

Value adding sales training.
April 5, 2002... Retail training is a hot topic. Cabinet Maker case studies one system that is working wonders across the pond It's no secret that sales training in the North American retail furniture marketplace is a hit and miss affair, dependent largely...

One night in Bangkok.
April 5, 2002... Recognising that healthy furniture exports are vital to its fragile economy, the Thai government hopes its recently opened Furniture Mart will be a case of double not quit, reports Jane Lea The Thai government is the first to acknowledge,...

Hyacinth's bouquet.
April 5, 2002... The importance of Thailand's furniture industry is largely due to its use of domestic raw materials. The main one is rubberwood, but another, used by Siphya International, is water hyacinth. Perceived in the past as merely a weed, which...

The Classic Chair Co.
April 5, 2002... Established in 1968, family business The Classic Chair Co manufactures high quality furniture, mostly English 18th and early 19th century reproductions. The manufacturer has a staff of around 50 at its factory in Bangkok, an optimum number...

Modest revolutionary.
April 5, 2002... Simon Spinks claims `tinkering' led to his world famous pocket spring system As the man who invented the Revolution pocket spring system, Simon Spinks is surprisingly modest, describing himself as a `tinkering inventor'. The system, which...

Benfield: C-T in no hurry for flotation.
April 12, 2002... Christie-Tyler is not destined for an imminent stock market flotation, according to chief executive James Benfield. He was responding to a report in The Sunday Telegraph (7 April) that parent Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst (HMTF) was preparing a...

Fire safety review still smouldering.
April 12, 2002... More than a year after it said it would review the flammability regulations, the DTI has still to make any decisions on the subject. On 13 March 2001, then consumer affairs minister Kim Howells said he wanted to `enhance consumer safety by...

No news is bad news.
April 12, 2002... When the DTI announced it was going to review the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations, it was welcomed by the furniture industry. The regulations were 13 years old and needed updating. Now they are 14 years old and...

New showroom, new market for Beauvale.
April 12, 2002... Beauvale Furnishings is to enter the leather upholstery market at the launch of its showroom on 29 April. The 3,000sqft Ilkeston, Derbyshire, showroom will feature 14 models. Its existing soft cover designs will be available in four...

Pleasant profits at Dreams.
April 12, 2002... Operating profits at bed retailer Dreams rose by 35% to #1.68m last year. Pre-tax profits lifted by #415,000 to #1.3m in the year to 25 December 2001. Sales rose 32% to #38.64m. Dreams md and chairman Mike Clare said he wanted to open...

Gloster Furniture discount.
April 12, 2002... Gloster Furniture is to offer consumers a 10% discount on its range of garden furniture, including the contemporary Riviera at next month's Chelsea Flower Show Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

French wound up.
April 12, 2002... Home furnishing firm French has entered voluntary liquidation. KPMG is the liquidator. The move follows the sale of its three subsidiaries over the past 11 months in an effort to return funds to shareholders. Copyright: CMP Information...

Retail conference.
April 12, 2002... The British Council for Shopping Centres is to hold a conference - Cities Fight Back - on planning and retail developments on 16 May in London. Entry costs #250 plus VAT. Details, tel: 0207 505 6850. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Charnwood tour.
April 12, 2002... Charnwood is undertaking a showvan tour of the South and Scotland this week and next, instead of exhibiting at the Christie-Tyler At Home show, which takes place from 14-18 April. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

New Courts software.
April 12, 2002... Courts has a three-year agreement with Interactive Digital Software to provide Showtime software for in-store marketing and POS. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Cologne rebranding.
April 12, 2002... The Cologne International Furniture Fair has been renamed imm Cologne. The event takes place from 13-19 January 2003. Details, tel: 0208 681 8166. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Lebus to boost staff and output.
April 12, 2002... Lebus Furniture has invested #500,000 in expanding production at its Scunthorpe factory. Some 40 jobs have been created, but that number is expected to rise. Fifty employees were recruited in the run up to Christmas. The company hopes...

La-Z-Boy joins in Playstation game.
April 12, 2002... La-Z-Boy has finalised a deal with Playstation and Playstation2 software publisher SCI to have its brand featured in games. The first game featuring the upholstery company is a racing game called Gumball3000. `This is to be the first...

More exhibitors on Taste of Design menu.
April 12, 2002... Some 15 companies are gearing up for the fifth annual Taste of Design exhibitions which start next month. New collections of furnishing fabrics, upholstery, lighting, carpets, trimmings and curtain poles will be on show at four venues:...

Cilek launch.
April 12, 2002... Turkish furniture firm Cilek launched its children's Active collection at Salone del Mobile in Milan this week. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Early's of Witney.
April 12, 2002... A liquidator for blanket firm Early's of Witney was due to be appointed as Cabinet Maker went to press. Stephen Briggs, a partner in accountant Leonard Curtis was expected to be named as liquidator on 9 April. Copyright: CMP...

Analysts' concern looms despite HoF share rise.
April 12, 2002... House of Fraser gained a rather grudging 2p on figures for the year to February showing pre-tax profits up by 27%, on sales increased by 13%. Although investors are benefiting from the group's emphasis on luxury brands, some analysts are...

Smith takes over as md at Sutcliffe.
April 12, 2002... Roger Smith has become md at cabinet and upholstery firm Sutcliffe Furniture. This follows George Mitchell's decision to step back from the day to day running of the company. He remains chairman. National sales manager Peter Fletcher...

Share Update on 8 April.
April 12, 2002... Share Update on 8 April Now Change Change High Low over since 2 weeks 1 Jan Allders 158 ...

Luxembourg sofa launch.
April 12, 2002... The Luxembourg sofa is among the range of Thomasville upholstery produced by Art Forma. It was officially launched at the firm's recent At Home show. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Topaz releases catalogue.
April 12, 2002... Topaz has released a catalogue for its rustic furniture collection. It includes Mexican pine products reflecting Spanish Colonial and contemporary styles for the bedroom, dining and living rooms along with home entertainment and storage...

FIRA launches innovation award.
April 12, 2002... FIRA has launched an award to recognise innovation in products and materials. Entries will be tested for fitness for purpose and durability in FIRA's laboratories and then judged by a panel consisting of two FIRA experts and one external...

People: John Gibbons.
April 12, 2002... GT Rackstraw has named John Gibbons as business development director. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

People: Courts.
April 12, 2002... Courts has named the following as store managers: Paul North (Bexhill- on-Sea); Chris Litherland (Walsall); Tony Allerman (Cheltenham); Matt Gelder (Maidstone) and Rob Lawrence (Basildon). Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

People: Simon Bond.
April 12, 2002... Simon Bond has been appointed Steelcase UK marketing director. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

People: Paul Shaw.
April 12, 2002... Paul Shaw is the new md of Drury Adams. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

People: Silentnight Beds.
April 12, 2002... Silentnight Beds has named Catherine Oldfield as public relations officer and Kelly Foote as marketing assistant. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

People: Matt Smith.
April 12, 2002... FIRA has recruited Matt Smith as ergonomist. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Spring is in the air for Crowson collections.
April 12, 2002... Crowson Fabrics has launched nine traditional and contemporary collections for the spring. Fusion offers four textures - plain, small spot, check and contemporary tulip trail. The traditional Sorrento features three chenilles in 10...

BhS owner Green tops the rich list.
April 12, 2002... Transforming the fortunes of BhS has seen its owner Philip Green jump to top of the list of the richest people in the furniture and furnishings industry. The Sunday Times Rich List valued him at #1.2bn, up from 2001's #200m. This made him...

John Turner.
April 12, 2002... Former New Plan sales representative John Turner died on 27 March 2002. He was 70. Turner covered the South East and Home Counties for 10 years. `He was much liked by his colleagues and customers,' said sales and marketing manager Andy...

Store manager: marketing - Get your name known.
April 12, 2002... There are various marketing methods available, Colin Long summarises how they can be used to boost a company's image and sales Magazine, newspaper or even poster advertising is an excellent way of increasing consumer awareness and...

Market update: easycare upholstery - No stain, no pain.
April 12, 2002... Consumers are choosing to buy stain protection treatments for their upholstery rather than wash their loose covers, reports Elspeth Pridham Bison fabric from Monkwell is Teflon treated to protect against water and grease If...

Show preview: Top of the bill.
April 12, 2002... Manchester is home to the inaugural Showroom, Sophie Baylis highlights some of the showstoppers at the event Among the new designs from Samuel Simpson is the New Forest collection, a pocket chenille with two face sides in modern metallic...

Manufacturer profile: Brand new day.
April 12, 2002... Highly Sprung has given Joynson Holland a new lease of life and is building up its brand to encourage sales from a wider audience. Stephanie Baum reports Building a brand with a new company can be daunting. But to build one when the...

A sporting service.
April 12, 2002... Products that delight customers please David Hawkridge... and watching sport The message from David Hawkridge is unambiguous: `Increasingly, quality and service are going to be the only routes to survival for UK manufacturing. `What I...

Cookes duo to open contemporary chain.
April 19, 2002... Cookes Furniture directors Graham and Karen Cooke will open the first of six showrooms featuring contemporary furniture targeted at urban professionals tomorrow (20 April). Branded Renka Living, the 6,000sqft showroom in Sutton Coldfield...

Dickson takes helm at Kingdom of Leather.
April 19, 2002... Kingdom of Leather executive chairman Peter Dickson has assumed the responsibilities of md Mireille Baumgart. The reason for her departure has not been disclosed. Dickson was abroad and unavailable for comment. Baumgart is believed to...

A lesson for all that cost DFS.
April 19, 2002... The idea of an individual giving a well targeted kick in the shins to a successful large company usually raises a smile. So there'll be a few sniggers at DFS having to fork out over #65,000 to an employee who didn't like being sworn at (see...

Fire guts Copperfields.
April 19, 2002... Fire has destroyed the factory and warehouse of pine furniture firm Mr Copperfields. The fire, on 15 April, could hamper the sale of the company. A creditors meeting on 17 April was likely to hear news of offers for the company. ...

Whiteleaf launch bedroom ranges.
April 19, 2002... Whiteleaf Furniture has launched two freestanding bedroom ranges - Winslow and the Abingdon. The Shaker design Winslow comes in a beech finish and the Abingdon in a maple finish. Both have optional downlighters. Copyright: CMP Information...

Two goes into one.
April 19, 2002... Top end traditional cabinet companies Arthur Brett and David Salmon are to merge. David Salmon owner David Salmon will become md of the merged company on 1 May, with Arthur Brett md Edward Brett becoming chairman. Arthur Brett's design...

Staff cutbacks at Frayling.
April 19, 2002... Frayling Furniture will make 97 staff redundant at its Clough Street, Hanley factory and Stoke-on-Trent plant as part of an overhaul of the company's manufacturing operations. The changes will involve outsourcing components. Sixty...

Unfair dismissal costs DFS #65,000.
April 19, 2002... Former DFS Midlands area manager Martin Peet has been awarded #65,213 compensation by a Shrewsbury employment tribunal after it concluded he was bullied out of his job by operations director David Payling. Payling was regional director and...

Argos sales up.
April 19, 2002... Argos saw like for like sales climb 13% in the six months to 31 March. Total sales rose 17%. Sales of furniture were described as `strong' by parent GUS. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

FTBA AGM.
April 19, 2002... The Furnishing Trades Benevolent Association is to hold its AGM on 23 May at Edenfield Country House Hotel, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. Details, tel: 0207 405 7633. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Distribution deal.
April 19, 2002... Glass furniture and lighting manufacturer Greenapple has appointed Coventry distribution firm CES to handle its UK and Ireland deliveries. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Date change.
April 19, 2002... Paris homewares show Maison & Objet has changed the dates of its January 2003 exhibition to 24-28 January. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Agent advice.
April 19, 2002... Solicitor Fox Williams has launched a website offering advice for agents and their principals. Details, visit: www.agentlaw.co.uk. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Havana to Worcester.
April 19, 2002... The captions for Tetrad's Havana and Parker Knoll's Worcester were transposed in the easycare upholstery feature (cm, 12 Apr, p10-11). Apologies for any confusion or embarrassment caused. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

DTI pulls plug.
April 19, 2002... Fitted kitchen firms Craftsman Kitchens and Craftsman Kitchen Manufacturing have been wound up by the DTI after 75% of the Manchester companies' customers complained about incomplete kitchens. The firms sold more than #3m of kitchens, but...

All about Beds.
April 19, 2002... Beds and mattresses have shown one of the most consistent growth trends in UK furniture production in recent years. On 12 July, Cabinet Maker, and sister magazine for the carpet and flooring industry cfr, will publish Beds, a supplement...

Monkwell collection aimed at the contract market.
April 19, 2002... Monkwell has developed Figaro, its second Trevira collection, aimed at the contract market. It comprises a dramatic large-scale damask, a stripe and two checks in an array of coordinating colours. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Sealy targets pocket market.
April 19, 2002... Sealy is to launch a pocket sprung range next week. Pocket Elegance will be debuted at the Silentnight At Home show, Salterforth from 21-24 April. The range features four models - Natural Ambience, Pillow Opulence, Renaissance and...

Your questions answered.
April 19, 2002... Q: We have a complaint that a bed base supplied 12 months ago has become mouldy but only on one half. We consider that this is due to some factor in the home environment but the consumer will not accept this. What can we do to absolve...