Features

Slow but steady growth expected in housing industry

Housing starts in the United States are expected to approach 1.25 million in 2018, an increase of 2.7 percent from 2017 but still short of the 1.5 million justified by population growth. That’s according to the National Association of Home Builders and its chief economist, Robert Dietz.

Closet America’s full-on pursuit of excellence propels company to impressive, wide-ranging success

Closet America is driven to flourish. The need to grow is tightly ingrained in the custom closet and organization company’s DNA. “We really believe that if we are not growing, we’re dying,” said Skip LaBella, president of the Hyattsville, Md.-based company, located less than 10 miles outside the nation’s capital.

Inspiration? Walmart finally getting it right online

Walmart finally woke up and smelled the coffee. Furniture cannot be sold online like paper towels or Fancy Feast cat food. Walmart’s new senior vice president of e-commerce home division, Anthony Soohoo, admits that furnishings and décor are inspired purchases.

Moving the industry forward: Second symposium builds off inaugural event’s resounding success

Year one of the Material, Technology & Design Symposium @ CPA Fall Meeting was a huge hit. There’s no telling how successful year two will be. “A powerhouse” is how one attendee described the 2017 symposium. The 2018 event is scheduled for Sept. 23-25 at the brand-new JW Marriott in downtown Nashville.

Panels, decorative surfaces remain key materials as ambitious Ashley eyes continued expansion

Ashley Furniture has a good handle on what’s hot and what trends will affect the furniture industry in the years ahead. As director of materials development, Rick Bryson is up to the challenge of providing the most current finishes and technology to the process.

One click does the trick

Imagine having the ability to assemble furniture in seconds without using tools, screws or fasteners. Imagine no more. Threespine click-furniture technology from Välinge is making it happen. “Just click the parts together for perfectly aligned and stable furniture,” says Välinge in announcing the new technology.

Salon success

It all started more than a decade ago in an 1,800-square-foot space in the small city of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, a quiet suburb south of Madison. Eager to start their new venture, small business owners Sarah and Trent Lange swiftly renovated their new space into a high-end hair salon called ECCO Salon.

Room to Run

An exciting decade lies ahead for manufacturers of composite panel-based residential and office furniture, kitchen cabinets, store fixtures and organizational units. This issue of Surface & Panel offers plenty of support for that view. In the Ahlstrom-Munksjö feature that begins on page 56, Executive Vice President of Décor Norbert Mix points out that while Europe and North America have similar populations...

Categories