 In the Industry - March 2008  |
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In the Industry World Market Center’s Dave Palmer Retires Dave Palmer, general manager of World Market Center, retired after the January 2008 Las Vegas Market. Palmer will continue to serve as a consultant to World Market Center. Palmer, a 40-year veteran of the home furnishings industry, was recognized at the January show with the Vision Award, an annual honor presented by World Market Center that recognizes those who have raised the bar for the industry. Palmer has been integral to World Market Center’s development and rapid leasing success since 2001. “As the first member of the great team at World Market Center, we are grateful for his role in inspiring the industry to be a part of this market,” says Jack Kashani, co-founder and managing partner of World Market Center. “We are also excited that Dave will continue as a consultant to World Market Center through the coming years as we fulfill our total vision of building the world’s largest trade complex for home furnishings.” “I am privileged to be a part of such a dynamic project that I know will continue to be an important force for the home furnishings industry,” says Palmer. “The developers have demonstrated a remarkable vision and have amassed an incredible team of professionals who will continue to ensure World Market Center’s success in the future.” Wertheimer Named President Of Phoenix Art Company Alan Wertheimer, vice-president international sales of China-based home furnishings manufacturer Phoenix Art Company, has been named president after two years with the company. Prior to joining Phoenix Art, Wertheimer served as national sales manager of LDB Interior Textiles for a number of years. Senior merchandise manager Michael Berzenye has been named vice-president international sales and will directly assist Wertheimer. “It is our continuing goal to find companies that share our core values and help them grow in this competitive marketplace,” says Wertheimer, who will remain based in New York and Berzenye in California. Milliken & Co. Makes Fortune’s 2008 “100 Best” Fortune has announced that Milliken & Company has been ranked #92 on the 11th annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. Milliken is the only South Carolina-based company to make the list. Milliken also ranked #31 on the Best Medium-Sized Company list. The full list appeared in the Feb. 4, 2008 issue of Fortune. “Making Fortune’s ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ list for the fourth time is an exceptional way to cap a great year,” says Joe Salley, chief operating officer, Milliken. “If you take into account the hundreds of thousands of companies that exist in the U.S., it is great recognition for our associates to be ranked among the top 100 of the Fortune survey.” HFPA Determines New Market Week Showroom Dates The Home Fashion Products Association (HFPA) has changed dates for the HFPA New York Home Fashions Market beginning September 2008. After polling members, retailers and reviewing the results of LDB Interior Textiles’ internet survey, HFPA’s new market dates are scheduled as the following:
The HFPA will gather feedback from the industry to determine the market In the LDB Interior Textiles’ New York Market Dates Survey, respondents expressed their opinions about the possibility of changing the February/August dates. Ironically, the last recorded response was from one manufacturer who wrote, “Timing for when orders have to be place for the Sping and Fall seasons has changed. Our major accounts are already making fall decisions right now. February is too late to start the process. Early November for the next year’s Fall previews would be good timing. May would be good for Spring. Also, the weather for travel would be much better.” LDB Interior Textiles will keep you posted on how the date changes fare with industry professionals in the future NexCen Brands, Inc., Partners With Welspun USA To Expand Waverly NexCen Brands, Inc., parent company of the Waverly brand, will align with Welspun USA to expand the Waverly brand into new lifestyle categories. Welspun will immediately become the Waverly licensee for bath towels, bath, accent and scatter rugs, down and synthetic filled comforters/blankets and pillows and mattress pads. WCMA Announces 2008 Product Innovation Award Winners The Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) held its annual 2008 Product Innovation Awards, designed to highlight the industry’s most innovative products of the year. An expert panel of five judges from the interior design community selected 33 winners from among the 86 entries received this year. A reception for the winners will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at The International Window Coverings Expo (IWCE) in Atlanta, GA and photographs from all entries will be displayed March 27-29, 2008 during the IWCE and on the WCMA website, wcmanet.org. This year’s judges included Susan Hirsh, senior merchandiser, Benjamin Moore; Susan Huckvale Arann, interior design consultant, American and International Designs; Alan Holland, senior buyer, JCPenney; Leonard Mozer, window fashions editor, LDB Interior Textiles; and Samantha Nestor, special projects editor, Metropolitan Home. Here are the winners:
Hunter Douglas also won eight out of eleven categories in Merchandising. Other winners in that category included Comfortex Window Fashions, Springs Window Fashions and Levelor Kirsch Window Fashions.
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