Budoff to focus on Outdoor furniture

Outdoor casual funiture maker Budoff Classic Furniture introduced a solid oak futon designed for porch and patio use and announced it is ending its manufacturing of the indoor futon line under the Monticello Oak Collection name.
The new product introduction was made to the casual furniture trade in September at the Chicago International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market by Budoff Classic Furniture, manufacturer of The Monticello Oak futon collection.
The Outdoor Sofa Sleeper set includes a full sized futon, chair, ottoman, coffee table, and end table and is expected to retail at or below $2,999. Comparable outdoor sets retail for about $4,999 but do not include the sleeper function inherent in the futon.
The announcement was made this month by Budoff Classic Furniture’s Jay Weber, vice president and general manager of the 60 year-old company.
Budoff entered the casual outdoor furniture industry in 1939 when it began manufacturing Adirondack Chairs for the hotel and residential trade. It now manufactures solid oak outdoor dining sets, benches, chairs, and chaise lounges.
Each outdoor sofa sleeper will ship with a plush futon mattress cushion, made from a water and mildew resistant specialized foam.
“One superior aspect of our new outdoor sofa sleeper sets is the inclusion of exciting, hot new fashion futon covers. We have worked with leading suppliers like Sunbrella™ from Glen Raven to provide our retailers with the sharpest ‘looks’ available,” Mr. Weber said.
Fabrics are UV and mildew resistant and will be available in solids and textures, he said. The selection includes a taupe “Cobblestone”, “Sherwood Green”, “China Blue” and striped “Yachtsman”, “Black Streak”, “Silver Linen”, and the moss green and white “Eden” patterns.
The sofa sleeper is manufactured from domestic solid white oak with two finishes available: whitewash or a natural oil stain. Both stains are sold over-the-counter at leading home supply retailers. Annual touching up is recommended.

Zad Debuts Rustic Look Futon Furniture

Three new designs of antique pine and leather or rustic hardware futon frames were well received at the San Francisco Design and Furnishing show according to Mr. Azad, president of Zad Design & Mfg. “We have been experimenting with some new materials and looks which can add a new dimension to futon furniture,” said Azad. Along with its existing line of alder and ash futon frames, Zad Design revealed their new rustic look futon frame styles with a complementary chenille futon cover line. “Our new products were so unique that a lot of retailers stopped by a second time to get another look,” Azad said.
Zad Design is also producing POP posters and brochures for their futon customers along with seminars for retailers. “We realize how important educating and training sales associates are,” said Azad, “So we are offering in-house training for our dealers.”

August Lotz and University Futons Team up in Western Canada

Boyd, WI - Mark Schlichter and Dave J. Kunyk, presidents of August Lotz and University Futons respectively, have announced that they have joined forces in Canada.
University Futons will warehouse and distribute August Lotz upper-end futon frames in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
“We see August Lotz futon frames as the primary ingredient in our Gallery Program,” says Dave Harding, National Sales Manager for Cordova Bay Group, University Futon’s distribution division. “And by Gallery Program, I mean we are placing today’s high quality ‘convertible sofas’ right in mainstream furniture stores and are reaching entirely new customers by doing so. Most bedding retailers, as well as much of the public, hadn’t realized the huge advancements in quality in the futon industry.”
“The Gallery Program, with its own display area, lighting and excellent marketing materials provided by August Lotz, not only benefits the salespeople, but also identifies the products to the public in a very distinctive manner,” he said.
“We are truly excited to be working with August Lotz. Theirs is a long and sterling track record. It’s because of their attention to detail that the public is becoming aware that futon furniture surpasses many mainstream products in function, style and value,” Harding said.
“We are a good fit for one another,” said Schlichter. “They have put together a well developed plan. They have done their homework, they know each of their markets very well, and Western Canada is an area we can use additional distribution.”
“The move is another step toward expanding our dealer base in North America,” Schlichter said. “We have a very aggressive growth plan.”

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