INDUSTRY UPDATES

Malcolm B. “Matt” Kallman, Dies at 72

Portland, ME — Malcolm B. “Matt” Kallman, of 507 Chandlers Wharf, Portland, died Thursday, April 4, 2002 at home.

He was born in Brighton Beach, N.Y., and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His retail career started at Orbach’s in New York, as a buyer, and he also was General Merchandise Manager for the Boston store in Milwaukee, Wis., Executive Vice President for Shillito’s, Ohio, President and CEO of Gimbel’s Department Stores, New York, Executive Vice President of Venture Stores, Vice Chairman of May Company, Cleveland, President of Stix Baer & Fuller Company and owner of Henry C. Lytton Company, Chicago.

Mr. Kallman lived in Portland, ME for the last 15 years as co-owner of Futon Furnishings, a futon specialty sleep store in Maine, specializing in frames, futons and covers. Sally Running, Matt’s business partner of 15 years, continues as owner. “Matt was an amazing person, truly larger than life. He loved people. He is greatly missed,” she said.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mr. Kallman’s name to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, 125 Broad St., 18th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10004.

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Futon & Specialty Sleep Expo Confirms New Dates for 2003

Friant, CA-The Futon Association announces new dates for its 2003 trade show and conference. The upcoming annual event is set for Sunday - Tuesday, March 2 - 4, 2003 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Look for the best the Futon and Specialty Sleep Industries have to offer, all under one roof in America’s favorite destination, Las Vegas, NV.

Special rates on hotel rooms are being offered at the Sahara Hotel and Casino, just down the street and about a 5 minute walk from the convention center. Weekday rates are set at $49.00 and Friday-Saturday rates are $109.00.

Watch the web site (www.futon.org) for updates, and call the FAI Expo Office at
559-868-4184 to be on the mailing list.

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Trade Winds Wall-Hugging Futon Frame Operates From the Front

Conover, NC — The new Majuro Futon from Laneventure’s Cabana Joe Collection, Trade Winds division, can be repositioned from the front thanks to a newly patented reclining mechanism designed by Dana Fitts. The space-saving unit sits just six inches from the wall and need not to be moved to recline the bedding.

This is not your average dorm futon. Need a quick nap at the office? A porch bed? Or unembarrasing, sophisticated sleep quarters for two more at the condo? The Majuro Futon offers luxury comfort with a sophisticated, distinct personality and is available in a full range of fabrics. Now arriving at retail locations nationwide just in time for Spring shoppers.

For more information contact Laneventure at (828) 328-2271.

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Tracy Hamlin Named Merchandising Manager at Hickory At Home

Hickory At Home, the consumer division of Hickory Springs Manufacturing, one of the nation’s largest suppliers to the furniture and bedding industries, has named Tracy Hamlin to the newly created position of Merchandising Manager. She reports to Eddie Alala, Jr. and will be responsible for the creation of a strategic futon product program for Hickory At Home, as well as the implementation of marketing campaigns, coordination of trade shows, and design and development of all products in the Hickory At Home product line.

Hamlin joined Hickory Springs in 1987 and brings an extensive background in foam, fiber and futon products to this position.

Hickory At Home, the consumer division of Hickory Springs, has relocated showrooms in High Point, for enhanced market presence for their expanded bunk bed, metal bed and futon product categories. Additions to the product line this market were several all-wood bunk beds in white and honey pine finishes, along with two new hardwood additions to their futon frame lineup, the Jackson and the Burlington. The new show space is located at 243 Main Street in the Cramco Furniture Displays Building, space C 7&8.

Upcoming shows for Hickory Springs include the Tupelo Furniture Market on August 15-18, 2002 followed by the Orlando Furniture and Accessory Market on August 23-25, 2002.

For further information, please contact Tracy Hamlin at (800) 438-5341, extension 4562.

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Serta Signs Futon Licensing Agreement with Wolf

Itasca, Illinois — Serta has signed a licensing agreement with Wolf Corporation to make and market Serta-branded futons throughout North America. Wolf launched the Serta program during the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina. The company plans to begin shipping the product this summer.

“Serta and Wolf have joined forces to create what we believe are some of the finest futons in the marketplace,” said Jeff Van Tuyle, vice president of sales. “This is a strong partnership between two companies known for their commitment to product excellence.”

“We have built unique features into the Serta futon that make it one of the most advanced futons available today,” noted Tony Wolf, president of Wolf Corporation. “Retailers have a full range of comfortable, durable, and high quality selections they can offer their customers.”

Wolf Corporation, one of the oldest family-run companies in the United States, has been in business for more than 128 years. The company is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Serta is a bedding brand leader and the manufacturer of the best-selling premium mattress in America, the Serta Perfect Sleeper®, the luxury Perfect Night® collection, and Masterpiece-brand mattresses.

For more information contact Serta at (630) 285-9300.

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Night And Day Furniture’s Rattan Sales Soar

Night And Day Furniture’s hugely successful rattan line, featuring their popular Rosebud and Magnolia models, will be one of the highlights of their upcoming show in San Francisco.

“We hit the ground running with these models since their debut late last year. Everyone, I mean everyone, wants the line,” says owner Mike Gallawa, “I think it’s because our rattan futon frames are real rattan furniture - it’s the real thing, not just futon arms with rattan inserts.”

Night And Day rattan designs are decorative, luxurious and classic and they have chosen names of flowers for the models to make the point. The Magnolia is a solid model fully wrapped in broad-weave rattan, and sits on turned wooden feet. The Magnolia also features a solid wood arm-rest that opens for storage.

The Rosebud is a classic. Its curving wooden legs frame a herringbone panel of woven rattan. “It is a model you could put anywhere,” Gallawa said. “Of course when a product hits this big and this fast your demand will generally outstrip your supply. It happened. But I am very pleased to report that output has jumped, and we are ready to move product.”

For more information contact Night & Day Furniture at 360-573-3309.

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August Lotz Announces Great Success With Solid Oak

August Lotz recently announced that its new line of front loading solid oak frames, “The Pacific Collection”, as well as the new lower priced domestic ash frames (starting at under $200) are turning out to be a great success. The president of August Lotz, Mark Schlichter, stated, “The reason for such outstanding success is simple. Imagine you are a consumer and are comparison shopping between two stores. You are comparing futon frames which look, and are priced, about the same. When you, as a consumer, find that the August Lotz import offered: consistent quality; dovetail construction; thicker dimension lumber; that it can be reclined while in the sitting position; is a front loader; has a warranty backed by a company which has been in business since 1897; has the lowest warranty rate; and is in the same price range as other futon frames without those features, it only makes sense to choose an August Lotz product.”

Schlichter went on to state he believes this is the strongest solid oak program ever offered, and has features and benefits previously unavailable. He also said that until now, a consumer would have to spend hundreds of dollars more to get a futon frame with these features. And as the Pacific Collection has been treated with the traditional August Lotz standard of only accepting the highest quality, August Lotz retailers have been able to focus on selling, not on all the hidden costs associated with warranty issues.

“A retailer who carries our new product line up has a significant advantage over a competitor who does not,” he said. He added that retailers receive an excellent value with front loading, solid oak and ash frames, that start under $150 and top off at around $200 in the full size. There are currently six front loading styles available in queen, full, love and chair sizes.

“Our retailers can now purchase all their futon frames from one source and still be assured of August Lotz quality,” Schlichter said, “We discovered we could offer proven styles at competitive price points which are intended to offer a higher level of quality than typically expected. They are designed to be the strongest step up from the entry level price range, and the quality shows. After all, we are known throughout the industry to have a rigorous QC program. We stand behind our quality.”

August Lotz is also introducing great point of purchase material for “The Pacific Collection” as well as their domestic ash frames. Schlichter also announced another exciting development for August Lotz: “The Value Line” mattress collection. This line offers new and aggressively priced full size mattresses starting at just $42.00, with even further discounts for truckload quantities. This new collection includes a cotton/foam blend in six inch, eight inch and ten inch thicknesses, as well as an eight inch coil spring.

For more information about these, or any other, August Lotz Co., Inc. products, please call 1-800-826-7326 or visit the website at www.augustlotz.com.

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Gold Bond Announces New Retailer Advertising Campaign

Noting the futon industry’s ongoing home furnishings success, Gold Bond VP of Marketing Andy Freedman announced the development of a new futon advertising program for Gold Bond retailers that will help position the futon as a “normal mainstream product that belongs in every home or office.”

New ad slicks are being developed now that will be available this fall, he said. The ads are being designed to show the futon in all-American settings with emphasis on the benefits Gold Bond futons deliver. “We all have a great story to tell and at Gold Bond we want to keep the excitement alive, to help our dealers convey to their customers just how mainstream and wonderful this product really is,” he said. Noting the price value ratio for futons is unrivalled in the sofa industry, he added, “we must be sure this message gets out to Mr., Ms., and Mrs. America to keep momentum and to keep growing the market.”

Gold Bond was first to introduce professionally produced point of sale materials and print ads. The company wants to continue this tradition of leadership in both product development and retail support, Mr. Freedman added. “With this campaign we will enable our retail base to work toward accomplishing that goal in 2002-2003.”

“We know that we can do a much better job reaching some demographics; studies show there are many people who don’t know about or consider futons the right choice. We hope to start making progress in changing their perceptions, and this is a step toward doing just that,” he said.
Gold Bond manufactures a complete line of futon mattresses from its state-of-the-art factory in Connecticut. The company offers the futon industry’s widest variety of styles, comfort levels, and price points in over a dozen models.

Futon retailers and specialty sleep retailers are also now receiving new shipments from Gold Bond of a highly differentiated specialty mattress ensemble that enables futon retailers to offer bedding shoppers a new and unique European-styled sleep product with extraordinary profit margins.

‘Perfection’

The new specialty mattress, trademarked Visco Perfection™, made its debut at the Chicago futon show. It has since enjoyed tremendous retail success. “Futon and specialty sleep retailers tell us that customers are seeking products that provide exceptional comfort. This product fills that niche, an upscale, European tailored, visco-memory foam mattress and foundation with broad appeal. This is a perfect fit for the futon and specialty sleep retailer and is designed to hit the ‘sweet spot’ of the market,” Gold Bond VP of Sales and Marketing Andy Freedman announced.

“It’s a new product the company is proud to add to its roster of premium futons and mattresses. We have retailers who are re-ordering on a daily basis. It is a red-hot product that specialty retailers are making great a return on their investment,” he said.

For additional information, please call Andy Freedman at 800-873-8498.

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Midwest Charges Forward with new oak frame line

Midwest Imports, Inc. came into the futon industry in 1998 offering futon vendors one of the most competitively priced selections of value futon furniture available. Four years later, Midwest is ready to shift gears and move forward once again.

Starting in June, Midwest will introduce its own high-end, American oak futon frames. “We believe the combination of the American oak’s beautiful grain and Midwest’s pricing will make it a hot seller,” says Cecilia Yi, VP of Sales & Marketing. In conjunction with Midwest’s newly opened factory, now in full production, these new American oak frames will be sold with a Limited Lifetime Warranty, along with Midwest’s traditional hardwood frames. “Our frames have come a long way, and with our modernized manufacturing facility, we are confident in the quality of our new products,” said Connie Yi, VP of Finance and General Counsel.

Expanding their repertoire of frames, Midwest introduced their Metal Line of contemporary metal futon frames earlier this year. “Due to high demand, we are adding additional styles to this line.” said Yi.

Midwest is also putting together a store-front promotional package to help train and aid retail sales associates in selling Midwest frames. “This is all part of a new initiative to push our products through the supply chain from end-to-end,” stated Cecilia Yi. “Helping our customers sell more of our frames helps us sell more frames.”

For more information about Midwest Imports, Inc. please call 800-718-1680 or visit their website at www.midwestimportsinc.com.

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Adonis Teams With Futon Veteran Glasser Group

Oakland, CA — Adonis Furniture is pleased to announce its new partnership with The Glasser Group. The Glasser Group will not only represent Adonis in the East but will also facilitate distribution for the Adonis products out of their Tampa facility. This partnership will provide the East Coast and Midwest quick and easy access to Adonis’ comprehensive line of futon frames and bedroom furniture. Offering hardwood, solid oak, and metal futon frames, as well as platform beds, and casegoods, the Adonis line has it all.

In a related story The Glasser Group announced the Grand Opening of their 10,000 sq. ft. warehouse, office and showrooms. The celebration took place Thursday June 20th & Friday June 21st.

The three new showrooms will feature: American National Specialty Bedding, Gold Bond futon mattresses and the new Perfection Visco 200 Bed, Adonis futon frames, bedroom groups, case goods, youth bedroom, Stockton Gage outdoor solid teak furniture and America Group solid teak futon furniture and accessories.

For more information on these great products and services contact: Adonis Furniture at 1-877-3Adonis or The Glasser Group at 1-800-466-9099.

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America Group Introduces The Home Collection

The Home Collection, introduced by the America Group at the recent Futon & Specialty Sleep Expo is now shipping second and third reorders. “Some of our customers are truly surprised that they are selling the add on products, such as screens, entertainment centers, occasional tables and bedroom with case goods,” said Chet Stoler, the company spokesperson. Stoler reported that customers are selling these collections made of solid teak and mahogany, and liked the advantage of selling these “unique products.” “Retailers also commented on the helpful ‘Partners In Retail’ program that made selling our products easier,” he said.

The America Group has created their “Partners In Retail” program to assist their dealers with a program that helps attract and sell through to consumers. The program, which is free to retailers carrying The Home Collection’s futon furniture and bedroom products consists of: catalogs and postcards for in store and direct mailings, clip art and newspaper ad slicks, attractive in-store photography of room settings and feature/benefit sales training. “This program is an accumulation of proven in store sales aids,” Stoler said.

For more information please contact Chet Stoler (clstoler1@aol.com) at 1-651-983-5772 or Greg Stinson 1-360-816-1054 for any further information.

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King Koil Announces New Call Center

Chicago — King Koil Sleep Products is pleased to announce that Consolidated Mattress, a Dial-A-Mattress franchisee covering Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Florida, has established a new call center at its Stoughton, Massachusetts location. The call center went on-line April 1, 2002, and operates 24/7 year round.

According to Nick Kalogeropoulos, call center director, the new facility will utilize state of the art technology. Together with manager Mark Detroia, the call center team has more than 25 years of customer service experience. The center is expected to handle more than 200,000 calls annually. The dial locations will carry a full line of King Koil Products.

King Koil Products, manufacturers of Perfect Contour and Spinal Contour Sleep Systems, produces the world’s #1 selling Chiropractor Sleep Systems. Headquartered in Chicago, King Koil has 17 bedding factories in the United States. For more information, please visit King Koil’s web site at www.kingkoil.com.

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