Industry on threshold as SFMA chief calls market poised for growth
Bernard Wampler president of the Southern Furniture Manufacturers Assn and Pulaski Furniture Corp says the industry is at the threshold of a great opportunity at the spring market. He notes steady growth of late and demand in the 25 to 35 age group for smaller, simpler designs, with nostalgia and contemporary styles in demand. He warns about Monongahela forest rulings and rising prices for lumber and materials, while labor shortages persist.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Robert Marks
Southern Furniture Manufacturers Assn
Bernard Wampler
Pulaski Furniture Corp
Pulaski
Wampler
Monongahela
United States Forest Service
Forest Service
Housing Market Opens as High Point Seeks Lodging Help
Mary Stuart of the High Point Chamber of Commerce reports robust housing support for the spring Southern furniture market. About 600 reservations have been made, including groups, with 34 homes and 34 apartments secured for visitors. Demand peaks on weekends, and some locals rent entire houses to accommodate groups, while some residents even prepare meals for guests.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tommye Morrison
Mary Stuart
High Point Chamber of Commerce
High Point
Stuart
Chamber of Commerce
Miss Stuart
Sweden
Alen
California Furniture Flammability Fight Heats Up
California fights a federal preemption ruling on flammability standards for furniture. Kerr of the Southern Furniture Manufacturers Assn. says California seeks enforcement while appealing. CPSC ponders a cigarette-test standard with no decision. Industry warns costs rise 30 to 35 percent and many small firms may close or merge.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
JIM Hawkins Enterprise
P Douglas Kerr
Southern Furniture Manufacturers Assn
California
Bureau of Home Furnishings
Kerr
Federal
Consumer Product Safety Commission
CPSC
Furniture
Home Furnishings Assn
Pennsylvania
Dept of Commerce
Canada
Furnture
Dept. of Commerce
Extra Touch Tiny Shop Aids Market Designers
Martha Clontz profiles Extra Touch, a small shop near the Southern Furniture Market Center run by Barbara Platt of Jamestown. Designers prize its authentic turn of the century memorabilia, from a streetcar roller sign to brass blow torches, sold as is for creative display use.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Martha Clontz
Southern Furniture Market
South Wrenn Street
East Green Drive
Barbara Platt
Thornwood Drive
Jamestown
Dallas
Hardware for Furnishings Sees Strong Market Run
Four executives in the furniture industry forecast a robust Southern market with rising prices and higher demand for higher end products. They note strong order flow from a solid quarter, ongoing volume growth, and optimism for a steady, not record, improvement through the year as auto and housing sales rise. William Blanton of Earlow Furniture voices cautious confidence about a good market and steady gains ahead.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fuente
William Blanton
Earlow Furniture
Also Mentioned on This Page
SFMA
Charlotte
Don Whittington
Washington
Congress
Calfornia
Federal District Court
Busiess
Barbara Plott
Art Richardson
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