INDUSTRY UPDATES

August Lotz Expands Line and Physical Plant

With the tremendous acceptance of their platform bed line August Lotz Co., Inc. has expanded deeper into bedroom furniture. Currently August Lotz is offering two different platform bed styles &emdash; "The Mission" and "The Ranch" &emdash; manufactured of Solid Ash and available with coordinating nightstands. A triple dresser with mirror and a five-drawer chest will soon be introduced to complete the group. Both groups will be available in their Medium Walnut and Natural finishes of Northern White Ash.

Dramatic increases in sales of their futon frame and mattress lines have also forced August Lotz Co., Inc. to expand the size of its existing facilities. Currently, the August Lotz wood division is located in Boyd, Wisconsin. Construction of a new warehouse at the Boyd location will enable August Lotz to consolidate all shipping from one location. This change in shipping venues will translate to even quicker ship times and better bargaining power with the trucking companies for lower freight charges on their products.

With so many companies racing to be the cheapest in the industry, it's refreshing to see a few manufacturers striving to be the best. Among these is August Lotz Co., Inc. "Our latest introduction, an all modular frame system, demonstrates why we continue to be one of the most creative and innovative producers of domestic hardwood futon frames in the industry," said Mark Schlichter, company President.

Explaining the concept of a modular frame Schlichter said, "All of the slats in the seat and back decks are now nailed into a dovetailed grid. These grids then slide into grooves on the long deck rails forming a more durable seating surface. The new modular frames are also more aesthetically pleasing with the elimination of the "center supports" previously required to reinforce the deck." The top of the back decks in the 7700 and 6600 series also boast an upper rail that has a radius curve on one inch stock, as well as rounded end caps to accentuate the softened lines.

As August Lotz continues to grow, so does the number of people it employs and promotes. One of their most recent success stories is Shari Tervelt. Shari started in the shipping department of August Lotz during August of 1996, and when a position in the office opened up in February of 1997, she was promoted to Order Entry and receptionist. As a result of expanding their inside sales staff, Shari will again be promoted &emdash; this time to the position of Inside Sales and Customer Service Associate. Shari will be working closely with Erika Alix (head of the inside sales department at August Lotz for over a year) and Eddy Botelho, National Sales Manager. The company feels that one of their greatest assets is the excellent work ethic that their employees possess. From Kathy Dumholt (soon to be Kathy Goltz) Credit Manager, to Sheryl Micke on the front line answering phones, the entire team of professionals will be here to take care of all your needs.

For more information contact August Lotz Co., Inc.: (715) 667-5121.

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OBITUARY

Bernie Sugarman of Malden Novelty Passes Away

Bernard Sugarman, President of Malden Novelty Co., of Malden, Massachusetts, passed away on August 25. He began his career working for his father, the late Mendel Sugarman. The company started doing business in 1924. At that time, they manufactured novelty pillows that evolved into furniture slip covers. Over the years, Malden Novelty has become a leading manufacturer of futon covers through the guiding hand of Bernard Sugarman.

He will be missed by his employees, business associates, and the industry in which he was an active participant for most of his life.

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Bedroom Distributors Develops Hard Body Frame

Bedroom Distributors, Inc., based in Fort Worth, Texas has developed what they believe is the strongest import Bi-Fold in the market, with more wood than any other import frame on the market. The frame is known as "The Hard Body".

Don Bumgardner, President of Bedroom Distributors, Inc., has imported futon frames for years from Chili, Brazil, and Indonesia. After years of experience, and an understanding the problems that can occur with many imports, he has designed a frame body that has thirty percent more wood than the typical import. "We made several improvements that we feel eliminate most of the quality issues that many have experienced at one time or another," Bumgardner said.

"First of all, I knew the breakage issues found in the stretcher rails. I increased the depth and width of the rails and went to a two-bolt, one-dowel system," he said. Next, they looked at the seat and back rest. All of the rails that hold the slats in place seemed to be another weak spot. "We doubled the thickness of the rails, which now measure one inch," Bumgardner said.

Bedroom Distributors also increased the thickness and width of each slat in both the seat and the back rest. Then they added six wooden support bars under the slats on both the seat and back for double reinforcement. In addition the wood side pieces were made thicker, pre-assembling them with the rollers already on the frame to simplify assembly. To top it all off, plantation grown rubberwood became the wood species of choice.

Bedroom Distributors, Inc., has grown one-hundred percent in the last year because of their newest innovations and Bumgardner states, "We just wanted a frame that wouldn't break and that had more selling features for the retailer. They can now out-sell the competition, instead of out-pricing them."

"The proof is in the weight and the cubic feet of the box," adds Bumgardner. "Just lift our body compared to others and anyone can feel the difference. The more wood you have, the stronger the product. Most importers' frame bodies are about 6.0-7.0 cubic feet (in the box) ours is about 9.3 cubes without the arms."

"The bottom line is, we have had an 80 percent decrease in breakage in the last year because of the Hard Body Futon," says Futon Don.

For more information contact Bedroom Distributors, Inc.: (817) 831-2811.

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Zad Design & Mfg. Introduces Ash Tri-Fold Collection

Zad Design & Mfg., based in Oxnard, California, has taken its American made hardwood futon frame to a new level with a patent pending, ash, tri-fold collection. With the improved mechanism, frames convert from bed to lounge and lounge to chair with ease, using a front loaded operation. These tri-fold mechanisms are available in Twin, Full, and Queen sizes and come in four different arm designs. Presented at the San Francisco Design Furnishing Show, these new frames along with the antique finished pine frame collections were well received by shoppers.

Since buying its own manufacturing plant in early 1997, Zad Design now manufactures its frames, futons, and futon related softgoods in its own facility; as a result, there is a consistent quality control in every product it ships out. This practice distinguishes Zad Design & Manufacturing from many other dealers and manufacturers.

As its slogan, "Where the technology meets the craftsmanship" says, Zad Design brings its well-studied product into the futon market.

Call Zad Design at (805)486-8393 for more information

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Big Sleep Moves Next Door To Big Tree

After sharing space with the Ortho mattress factory for a year, Big Sleep, the futon mattress and cover manufacturer, moved into its own 38,000 square foot factory space.

As of September 15, Big Sleep is located next door to its parent company, Big Tree &emdash; manufacturer of solid oak futon frames &emdash; in Commerce, California.

"We are very excited about this move," said Bob Pecoraro, National Sales Manager. "By moving in next to Big Tree we can now better manage the operations of both companies without any extra traveling or negotiations with another company," he said. This new space now gives Big Tree/Big Sleep over 100,000 square feet devoted to futon furniture.

For more information contact Big Tree/Big Sleep Futons: (562) 921-7299.

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A Futon Life Special Feature Story
La Maison Saman: The Daniel Fiset Story

Daniel Fiset has a long history in the futon industry. Like many of the early pioneers, he started before the boomtimes of the early to mid eighties and developed most of his products in the Canadian market. Today he is still selling to futon retailers but his product is revolutionary and it couldn't have come at a better time. &emdash; Editor

This story begins in the early 80's when Daniel Fiset met Canadian futon pioneer Gaudry Normand, whom he hadn't seen in more than a decade. "Gaudry was a childhood friend of mine, but we had lost contact for a long time," said Fiset

"In the course of our meeting he told me that he was working in the futon industry and that he was also operating a retail store," he said. The futon market in Canada was in its infancy then, and an incredible explosion was about to take place. Normand mentioned to Fiset that he was looking for a manufacturer that would provide him with futon frames. "Another friend of mine, Gilles Tremblay, was there that day. Gaudry asked us if we were tempted by the venture. I was in and out of work at the time. I had no clear idea of what "manufacture" meant. Being a jack-of-all-trades, and having pursued studies in computer sciences, I had become an expert in the role of administration. Gilles, on his part, was a carpenter," Fiset said.

They needed a third associate and went to see a friend of theirs, Jean-Pierre Roy, who agreed to join them.

Thus, in 1984,Boisinove was founded. "Among the three associates, I was the one who managed the administrative tasks. Because of the effervescence of the market, we were kept quite busy for some time. After our very first year of operation, we had sales of $264,000 (Canadian). Two years later our sales reached $750,000 (Canadian) and we moved into a larger space in order to expand. The growth seemed endless. We were ecstatic. We finished our third year with sales skyrocketing over $1.5 million. Those were the good old days. All horizons were open. A-frames were made out of maple, birch, and even...oak," he said.

All fairy tales come to an end and their's was no exception. Gradually, many new players came into the market. They had to look for new techniques and new materials in order to adjust to the new requirements of the market and to the "price only" phenomenon. "We had to innovate &emdash; thus the name of our company, which translates literally into "wood innovation" &emdash; and find, by some means, ways to build futon frames at lower costs," he said.

In 1992, while looking for a new location, they had to deal with the Ministry of Environment. "The government demanded nothing less than the complete cessation of our activities with our nitro-cellulose based lacquers. In Quebec, the regulations concerning the VOC emissions are the strictest in North America, but are usually not strictly enforced. Unfortunately for us, we inherited a zealous civil servant and quickly lost our previously acquired rights. Anyway, we had to obey the law," he said.

Since he was best acquainted with the suppliers, Fiset was responsible for the affair. "We had to concentrate on water-based products. But sadly, even those were problematic. I discovered that it is not enough for a product to be water-based in order for it to be environment-friendly," said Fiset.

After much research Fiset decided to develop a product exclusively for his purposes that would satisfy the environmental regulations. The product had to be of the same quality as products that were thinner-based...without polluting. The development took 18 months and even at the end there still existed a major problem. The product was double the price of any other product in its category, not to mention the fact that they had to modify all their equipment in order to make it compatible with the water-based product. "I was none-theless extremely proud of our "green" policy. I felt that we were participating, with our small step, in the protection of the environment," he said.

Although they had a "green" product, they ended up selling their finished products at a much higher price than their competitors, which was sometimes hard to explain.

"It was then that the idea of offering a similar alternative to the consumer came to me. Seventy percent of the products we sold were not finished, and I thought to myself, 'Is it possible to offer finishing products to consumers that could be easily applied, without safety risks to the consumer or the environment, and that would still be inexpensive?,'" said Fiset.

"I was beginning to be better acquainted with chemicals and their structure, so I returned to see the chemists that had developed the water-based lacquers and let them in on my projects. After many months of testing our team had created a water-based, non-toxic stain made from new revolutionary coalescents that were non-flammable and were safe for the user as well as for the environment. My dream was becoming a reality, and LA MAISON SAMAN was born," he said.

After much research they determined the ideal package for the market was a four-ounce plastic bottle. This was the quantity required to stain an A or L futon frame. Also, the plastic bottle could be rinsed and recycled. But most importantly, such concerns as airing out rooms, intoxication from fumes, special wood treatments, and special care could be dismissed.

"The beginnings of LA MAISON SAMAN were very quiet. It was only a sideline for me at the time, since I was working 60 to 70 hours a week for Boisinove and later for TDU. After several years of work with these companies I was ready for a new challenge. My wife and I had started to prepare ourselves to give LA MAISON SAMAN the time it deserved," he said.

Fiset thought for a long time about the question of marketing and eventually found an answer. "We established a turn-key program especially designed for futon retailers. In addition to the SAMAN® stains now available in a unique selection of 18 colors in four-ounce and eight-ounce formats, our research team developed a top-coating that has the same characteristics as our stains. SAMAN's clear finish 160-031 satin or 160-051 semi-gloss are offered in a 16-ounce format. We can also provide consumers with professional cloths, sold in groups of four, to apply the stains. All of this is presented in a beautifully stylized pine cabinet surmounted with a headboard containing our explanatory brochure. Therefore, for a minimum investment, the retailer obtains a magnificent display (value $300) filled with finishing products," said Fiset. The display itself requires only two square feet of space. "We feel that this constitutes a very good investment because it probably will be the best profit per-square-foot a retailer will make," he said.

For more information contact La Maison Saman: 1-888-577-2626.

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The Futon Source Opens Second Location

Indianapolis&emdash;The Futon Source has just opened their second Lafayette area location at 3535 State Road 38 East. Other store locations are on the Levee in West Lafayette and 4025 East 82nd Street in Indianapolis.

Owners Scott Hawkins, a 1987 Lafayette Jeff graduate, and Kelli (Lewark) Hawkins, a 1988 Lafayette Jeff graduate, opened the Levee Plaza store in 1990 while students at Purdue. The second store in Indianapolis opened in 1995.

The new Lafayette store, the company's largest at 6,700 square feet, carries seven different styles of futons. According to Futon Source, with over 50 styles of frames, they have the largest selection of quality frames in Indiana. The store also carries numerous accessories and a selection of over 1000 covers.

For more information contact The Futon Source: (317) 743-4583.

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SIS Intros The Eclectic Collection

SIS Covers will be introducing an interesting new pillow line at October's High Point Furniture Market. The Eclectic Collection features premium jacquard velvets, intricate woven fabrics, and luxurious trims. The line was designed around color palettes and themes that enable the entire collection to work together for a funky, eclectic look in living or sleeping spaces. For stress free ordering, these pillows are available in pre-selected showroom packs or may be ordered individually.

Autumn's arrival has also brought Polar Fleece to the front of the SIS Covers line-up. As Polar Fleece futon covers hit showroom floors around the country, sales are proving that it was well worth the wait. Swatches are now available and SIS Covers is packaging each item with the familiar Polar Fleece hang tag for display. Early sales figures seem to indicate that Fargo, a richly autumn colored plaid with contrasting gussets and piping, is the leading seller. Although Francis &emdash; in jewel toned blues and greens &emdash; is running a close second.

For more information contact SIS Covers: (612) 789-0956.

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United Sleep's Debuts New Frames and Covers

A variety of exciting new additions of frames and cover selections! That is what United Sleep Products, exclusive licensee of the Simmons Beautyrest Futon, will be introducing at the High Point Furniture Mart this fall. To accommodate their growth, United Sleep Products has expanded their permanent showroom, located on the second floor at 142 South Main Street.

Constructed of American hardwood, the three new frames being introduced are popular contemporary wood designs and are all manufactured in the United States.

A variety of new fabric selections added to the line complement the new frames. According to Paul Sullivan, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, "The new fabrics were added to provide a comprehensive cover offering, capitalizing on today's popular styles."

The superior comfort of the Simmons Beautyrest Futon, combined with the high quality frames and cover selections, makes United Sleep Products a profitable solution. Dealers attending the High Point Market are invited to stop in on the second floor at 142 South Main to see for themselves "what's new" at United Sleep Products.

For more information contact United Sleep Products: (800) 447-2119.

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King Koil Northeast Gears Up for a Busy 1997 Season

King Koil's new ten-inch Double Foam and Cotton Futon Mattress are off to a great start. Customers looking for a little extra comfort can find it there. Their unique Luxury Firm hair pad/wool wrap construction, and the Euro Plush fiber and foam mattresses, introduced as specialty products, are finding their way into the mainstream with each passing season. King Koil is working on an exciting new "Comfort Cushion" futon mattress to be introduced shortly. This will have a slightly softer seating surface while maintaining a firm sleeping surface.

Sales of their new front opening and closing Gloucester frame and new Bedford frames have far exceeded initial expectations. With the completion of the expansion of their futon production facility, King Koil will double their capacity. Their goal is to have all orders arrive at the customers' door within one week of ordering.

Already at work on new items for 1998, King Koil is evaluating new mattress materials and constructions, new frame mechanisms, and new frame designs.

Their one-stop shopping package (futon mattresses, hardwood frames, and futon covers), has become more important every day to retailers of all sizes. Innovative New England construction combined with fast delivery and great service is a combination that is getting stronger and stronger.

For more information on the full line up of King Koil Northeast's futons, call 860-688-6496. Visit their web site at http://www.pcdev.com/websites/kingkoil.

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Lofa Sales Announces Price Breakthrough With New "Promotional" LofaBed

"No matter how good a product is, it's almost always the price that gets you in the door," says Mitch Wapen of Lofa Sales International in Montreal. "I learned this a long time ago selling cars, and now I'm learning it again selling LofaBeds." The LofaBed is a combination davenport/futon featuring removable and interchangeable arm designs, an eight inch buttoned futon, supported by elastic upholstery webbing, and a convertible davenport mechanism easy enough for a child to operate.

"The LofaBed was originally targeted for a $499 retail price point, and that's still the case," claims Wapen, "but when we saw the delivery costs necessary to land this baby anywhere further than the Northeast United States, the Danabel factory and I realized we had to come up with something less expensive." And so, the birth of the Promotional LofaBed.

"Basically, what we've done is use less costly materials and simplified things like our arm design and fabric selections," says Wapen, "and 'presto!' we have a solid, well built, practical product selling for $100 less!" Visually, the Promotional LofaBed is different from its cousin in two ways: the fabric selection is limited to four solid colors and one print. Also, a new "Space-Saver" arm has been designed, both to save money as well as space...the Space-Saver Promotional LofaBed measures only 79 inches from end to end!

To learn more about the regular or Promotional LofaBed, call Mitch at (515) 424-1431 or fax at (514)424-0267.

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Cotton Works Goes Internet and Earth Friendly

Albany, GA &emdash; Cotton Works Industries, Inc., one of the world's leading manufacturers of futon covers, is now on-line and is also unfolding a new line featuring environmentally responsible fabrics.

"We believe Internet marketing is the wave of the future," said Jim Martin, Cotton Works president. "That's why we're one of the first manufacturers of futon covers in the industry to have a web site. We wanted to try it out because we believe it will help our customers. When people contact us via the website, we can refer them to the stores nearby that carry futons and items related to the industry."

The Cotton Works home page &emdash; www.cottonworks.com &emdash; went on-line the first of September and continues the humorous vein used in recent Cotton Works print ads.

"From the time the site was launched, we began averaging around 15 hits a week," Martin said. "We have been getting inquiries form individuals, and we're referring them to our retailers who are closest to their location."

While Martin may have one eye on hyperspace marketing, he's also focusing on earth-friendly production.

"Cotton Works is adding a line of six first-quality recycled fabrics that coordinate," Martin added. "By using recycled fabrics, we're conserving valuable and limited natural resources. We're one of the only futon cover manufacturing companies to do this."

The line, EarthSpun, is an attractive, high-quality cotton blend available exclusively from Cotton Works. EarthSpun covers are in the "Hearth" category of Cotton Works covers. Affordable, as well as unique, Martin stated that the EarthSpun line will be available November first.

"At Cotton Works, we're always looking for new ways to improve service to our customers," he said. "In fact, we pride ourselves on selling more than futon covers...we sell service."

For more information contact Cotton Works Industries: (912) 438-1900.

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Bedroom Distributors Expands Shipping Zones and Promotional Line

Having negotiated a lower, class 65 tariff with most of the major carriers, Bedroom Distributors can now offer economic freight rates to most states. Beau Bolton, a sales representative and a 20 year futon veteran, and Don Bumgardner, President of Bedroom Distributors, have also joined forces to expand the nationwide marketing campaign. Beau brings to Bedroom Distributors a great reputation and wide account base.

Bedroom Distributors, Inc. has also added two new promotional and UPSable bi-folds with precision workmanship: priced at $105 for the open-arm called "The Fort-Worth" available in a special Red Oak finish, and at $115 for the Mission style (with six 1 1/2 inch slats), called "The Livingston II", available in Red Oak, Mahogany, and Black. Both units are multi-positional, including the lounge position. Both frames go together easily with simple-to-follow instructions.

"To manufacture a KD body, every hole must be perfect, with simple instructions for ease in assembling," says Futon Don Bumgardner.

The Fort Worth, Texas Corporation of Bedroom Distributors, Inc. serves most of the United States and Canada.

Bedroom Distributors, Inc. is opening a warehouse in Florida in November with free delivery weekly to most area dealers with a company truck. Customer-pickups and LTL shipments will still be offered on a 24 hour notice.

"When it comes to service, we are the best and the fastest," says Futon Don. "We'll put our import program up against anyone else in the industry," adds Bumgardner, "I guarantee it."

For more information contact Bedroom Distributors, Inc.: (817) 831-2811.

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S&J Woodworks Shows Custom Classics

David Jaeger of S&J Woodworks continues to produce some of the finest custom futon furniture available anywhere. Working in Cherry and other beautiful hardwoods Jaeger is also manufacturing a limited line of regular futon furniture products. He also is creating some beautiful custom pieces for select clients including this beautiful Oriental styled dresser/buffet which is part of a dining and living room ensemble which included a 38" X 72" dining table, eight similarly styled dining stools, a coffee table, futon sofa bed, and reclining chair.

For more information contact S&J Woodworks at 781-575-0250.

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ISPA Releases Bedding Sales Figures for 1996

ISPA, the International Sleep Products Association, recently released bedding sales figures for the innerspring industry for 1996. In the report, published in July, it was revealed, "that the dollar value of conventional adult-sized mattress and foundation sales rose incrementally in 1996 to $3.26 billion, up 2.6 percent from 1995's total of $3.18 billion."

The report also stated that the strongest growth was in the South (4.2 percent), followed by the North Central region (2.6 percent) and the West (2.1 percent). Sales were reported to be down in the Northeast, falling almost 1 percent to $511.1 million.

In summary the report was very optimistic for 1997 and 1998, stating that these years "have the potential to be additional record years for the bedding industry."

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Five New 'Monticello Oak' Futons Get Permanent High Point Showrooms

High Point NC &emdash; A 58 year-old furniture manufacturing company will show five oak futon groups at the High Point Market October 14 to 22. The futon industry's newest solid oak furniture groups feature a new patented wall hugging mechanism.

The Monticello Oak Collection will make its High Point debut in a new showroom adjacent to other leading futon suppliers' spaces on the seventh floor of the C&D Building, Suite 7F.

Martin Tratt, Vice President and General Manager of Budoff Classic Furniture of Monticello, NY, which manufactures the Monticello Oak Collection, said the new futons were designed by residential-contract designer Steven Sanfilippo.

Tratt added that futons, now, are commanding showroom space nationally because they generate strong gross margins, demonstrate large growth potential, and represent new volume for home furnishings retailers. Budoff Classic Furniture entered the solid oak furniture business in 1939.

The Monticello Oak Collection is five new futon styles that include leather and wrought iron arms and a new whitewash finish. Subtleties include hidden hardware on the futon arm, quick assembly, oversized solid oak slats, and two oak struts to stabilize the futon when used as a bed. These features and the new "zero tolerance" patented wall hugging mechanism will be demonstrated at the market.

An in-store point of sale program &emdash; including signs, door decals, hang tags, and newspaper advertisement drop-ins is also available now, he added.

The Glasser Group of Tampa is responsible for sales and marketing of the Monticello Oak Collection. Stuart A. Glasser, President, said the new oak futon line made its debut in Arizona earlier this year. He stressed that futon retailers are reporting extremely high satisfaction. Mr. Glasser said aggressive price points along with mainstream American design and quality control are key to the new introduction's success.

For additional information, please contact The Glasser Group, 1-800-466-9099.

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FAI Fax Survey Taps Member Opinions

The Futon Association, in an attempt to gain a true consensus of its members' opinions on a variety of topics, has instituted a new fax polling procedure. The fax poll uses a broadcast fax system to send a detailed questionnaire to each FAI member company. The first fax survey focused on questions regarding the time and place of the Association's trade show, The Futon Expo™, and topic requests for the new conference day planned for the 1998 show in New Orleans in May.

"We wanted to expose several issues to the broad base of our membership" said David Buechner, Association President. "It is our hope that by opening up some of these issues to the full membership we will be enhancing our efforts to be responsive to the various interests of our membership. It also allows us to tap into the many creative ideas our members have about our growing Association and its direction."

One of the key issues surveyed on the fax was a section that outlined topics which could be a part of the all day conference on Wednesday (May 20, 1998) of show week. Suggestions included topics from marketing on the internet to how to repair a futon frame.

The Association is also moving forward with its Consumer PR program. "We are currently putting into the hands of our PR firm a full color photo composite sheet for editors. The sheet will also be available to member companies through our office in Chico, CA.," Buechner said.

The Association is also working on new consumer oriented brochures for retailers to use as handouts to prospective customers.

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