Patio and Hearth Products Report - July/August 2011

E MPIRE C OMFORT S YSTEMS

B ULL O UTDOOR P RODUCTS

T ROPITONE

w w w. p a t i o a n d h e a r t h p r o d u c t s r e p o r t . c o m

G ENSUN C ASUAL L IVING

Eventually, she will think about tomorrow.

The New URComfort™ Action Lounger

Use your smartphone QR code reader to learn more.

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www.tropitone.com

Unplug. Connect.

The Grandview™ 230 wood-burning stove creates a place where customers love to gather.

Just in time for the burning season, this Washington State–approved, wonderfully stylish and impressively fuel-efficient stove from Lennox’ Country® Collection raises the bar on performance. An innovative heat exchanger provides 32% more surface area than the standard design to deliver more warmth into the room. Plus, several elegant styling options let customers create the look they desire— while helping you close the sale.

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For more information, visit lennox.com or call 1.800.9.LENNOX.

contents

J U LY / A U G U S T • V O L U M E 6 , N U M B E R 4

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features 8

GUEST EDITORIAL – THE HPBA: WORKING FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS

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By Kimberly Rodgers

Onward Manufacturing has experienced a rapid growth cycle as it continues to manage its marketing channels closely to ensure superior customer service.

By Wendy Howells

The chair of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) discusses the myriad services that the HPBA offers to those in the fireplace, barbecue, and outdoor-living industries.

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ONWARD MANUFACTURING EXPANDS IN THE UNITED STATES

SHOWROOM SHOWCASE – A BUSINESS WITH HEART

CORPORATE PROFILE – A HUNDRED YEARS OF WHITECRAFT

By Sharon Sanders

By Cherise Forno

Backyard Masters has prospered for more than 30 years by putting customers first and offering exceptional products.

As Whitecraft approaches its 100th anniversary, it continues to reinvent itself by focusing on customized orders and diverse design options.

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POLY-WOOD VALUES PERFORMANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

By Sharon Sanders

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SPOTLIGHT – BACKYARD BLISS

Poly-Wood is one of the leading U.S. producers of casual outdoor furniture made from recycled materials.

By Cheryl Dangel Cullen

As consumer interest in the outdoor room continues to grow, manufacturers are developing stylish and functional products that transform backyards into relaxing retreats.

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By Sharon Sanders

Bella-Dura is experiencing unprecedented growth as casualfurniture manufacturers throughout the world are attracted to its high-performance, stylish fabrics.

MARKETING MANEUVERS – OUTSIDE THE ORDINARY

By Kimberly Rodgers

Desert Patio has weathered bad economic times by offering extraordinary products and services that keep customers coming back.

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AS I SEE IT – DURABLE DESIGNS

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MY TURN – ONWARD AND UPWARD

By Cheryl Dangel Cullen

Pride Family Brands has been successful, over the years, by adapting its product offerings to meet consumer demand.

GAZEBOS CREATE PERFECT OUTDOOR ROOMS

By Kimberly Rodgers

Country Lane Woodworking has watched business grow as consumers add pavilions and pergolas to their backyards.

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PRODUCT INNOVATION – A VIRTUAL COMPANY

By Cheryl Dangel Cullen

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By retooling its website and energizing its social-media outlets, Morsø is developing new ways to help dealers increase sales.

HEARTH RETAILER PROFILE – HARD-CORE HEARTH

departments

By Sharon Sanders

In response to the poor economy, Fireplace Village revamped its business by eliminating extras and focusing solely on hearth products.

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LAST WORD – A STRONG BOND

By Sharon Sanders

NorthCape International’s owner stresses that to be successful in the casual-furniture industry, manufacturers and retailers must form strong partnerships.

DIVERSIFICATION DRIVES GROWTH FOR WOODMASTER

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By Sharon Sanders

The WoodMaster product line has been expanded and now appeals to a much broader market than ever before.

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OUTDOOR GRILLING RETAILER PROFILE – THE GRILL GURU

By Sharon Sanders

All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop has gained a reputation in the community not only for its knowledge of grilling, but for its involvement in local events.

ON THE COVER

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Gensun Casual Living

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

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FIVE Publisher’s Viewpoint and Editor’s Message

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INDUSTRY NEWS – Edited by Kris Kyes

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PRODUCT PROFILES

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PRODUCT PROFILES DIRECTORY

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AD INDEX

PRODUCT FOCUS – FABRIC FLAIR

By Cherise Forno

During this selling season, consumers shopping for fabrics can select from a wide range of stylish, durable designs.

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Follow us on Twitter: @patiohearth

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five

Publisher’s Viewpoint

Robert (Evel) Knievel (1938–2007), daredevil motorcycle rider and entertainer, said during a television interview documenting his wild, exciting ride in life (shortly before he passed away), “I don’t know if there is a heaven, but if there is, it’s a place where your kids always remain five years old.” For Knievel, the fondest memories of his kids were of when they were five. While I have no doubt that heaven exists, I do agree with Knievel that the age of five was a very good time with our two boys. As it turns out, five years is also a very good age for Patio & Hearth Products Report.

The July/August 2011 issue of P&HPR marks our fiveyear anniversary. To say that the past five years have flown by is an understatement. To say that we have immensely enjoyed being a part of the patio, hearth, barbecue/grill, outdoor-kitchen, and outdoor-living industry is an even greater understatement. I have been involved in trade publishing for the past 32 years (I started when I was seven— just kidding), and I can honestly say that the past five have been some of the most enjoyable, rewarding years of my publishing career.

I am often asked whether I would still have launched P&HPR if I had known in advance that two short years later, we would enter the Great Recession. I always reply with an immediate, unequivocal yes. As with most things in life, there is no perfect time to launch a company (or to introduce a new product or service). If people or companies waited for the perfect time, the vast majority of com-

panies, products, and services would never get past the idea stage. As they say in the world of boating, sooner or later, you have to leave the dock and set sail.

In a good, stagnant, or poor economy, if there is a need for a new or better product or service, the sooner it gets launched, the better. As all good businesspeople know, if you can only survive or grow during prosperous times, you shouldn’t be in business. Sooner or later, every economy (just like every business or relationship) is going to face challenging, tough times. As explained by Louis (Lou) Holtz, the legendary Notre Dame football coach and highly regarded football analyst, 10% of life is what happens to you, and 90% of life is how you respond to it.

I am blessed that after five years, I still have the same art director, Cass Estes; the same editor, Carol Daus; the same associate editor, Kris Kyes; the same staff writers, Cheryl Dangel Cullen, Kimberly Rodgers, and Sharon Sanders; and the same business manager, Susan Razetto. This year, we added a new staff writer, Cherise Forno, and our first social media editor, Amanda Daus. Surrounding myself with people who are smarter, more creative, and more talented than I am is one of the smartest things I ever did. An integral component of the success of P&HPR is having the loyal, dedicated support of hard-working, highly creative, multitalented people.

We have also been blessed with a loyal base of readers and with advertising support from a large number of manufacturers. We greatly appreciate the participation of the

many owners and managers of specialty casual-furniture stores and of retailers and dealers of patio, hearth, barbecue/grill, outdoor-kitchen, and outdoor-living products who have allowed us to profile their businesses—and share with our readers the ways in which they have been successful in marketing, merchandising, retailing, showroom design, and product diversification.

We can’t thank manufacturers enough for supporting us with their advertising. There are no free lunches in life, and without advertising support, there would be no P&HPR. Rest assured that all of us at P&HPR are just as committed today as we were five years ago—if not more committed—to delivering a high-quality, timely, relevant publication to our readers and advertisers. Here’s wishing all of us continued success. We’re looking forward, with great anticipation, to the next five years—and beyond.

TONY RAMOS PUBLISHER TRAMOS@PENINSULA-MEDIA.COM

from the editor

In July, one of the biggest events in the patio-furniture and outdoor-living industry is the ICFA Preview Show™ (formerly Casual Pre-Market) in Chicago, Illinois, where hundreds of retailers get an early look at new products and services offered by casual-furniture manufacturers. Another important event in July is Independent Retailer Month (independentretailermonth.com), which should be of special interest to all independent and mom-and-pop retailers in the patio-furniture industry, not to mention those in the hearth and barbecue/grill industries.

Independent Retailer Month is a global campaign to celebrate the importance of independent retailers in the community, the economy, and the overall retail-sector mix. The month of July has been set aside to encourage, engage, and inspire inde6

pendent retailers and the community members who shop at their businesses.

At a time when consumer spending has plummeted, specialty retailers must become increasingly savvy and aggressive in attracting shoppers in both traditional and nontraditional ways. Veterans of these businesses know that to remain successful, they must go above and beyond what mass retailers offer. Whether it’s providing personalized customer service, quick turnaround of product, or competitive pricing, a specialty retailer can offer a shopping experience that most big boxes and chain stores cannot match.

Ironically, after a couple of decades in which many retailers grew in size, the recent trend has been one of downsizing, due to changing customer expectations, to sales drifting online, and to the adoption of lean retail strategies. Big-box chains such as Best Buy, Walmart, Office Depot, and Staples are testing smaller stores in certain markets, and this trend is expected to grow throughout the country.

New Crate & Barrel stores will be 25% skinnier than before, and Gap’s Old Navy model is being reduced by 20%. Even once-prosperous Borders, which (along with Barnes & Noble) pioneered the megabookstore model, is closing its doors

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

for good—because it is no longer relevant to a large enough customer base.

As large retailers start shrinking, this is an excellent time for specialty retailers to promote themselves as local experts in the patio-furniture, hearth, and outdoor-living industries. Although Independent Retailer Month has come and gone, the organizers of that event have compiled a list of ways that specialty retailers can promote themselves in their markets at any time of year (for a complete list, visit independentretail ermonth.com/index.php/idea-bank). For starters, here are just a few ideas: • support local talent (designers, artists, DJs, and others) by hosting a joint in-store activity; • conduct a happy shopping hour— with drinks and snacks for your customers—with music; • conduct a contest, with customers submitting photos of their outdoor rooms or hearth rooms; • on your website, offer exclusive coupons that are redeemable only in the store; • engage customers with a contest, and have the winner revealed at an in-store event; • hold a charity event, with a percentage of sales going to a local charity; or

• team up with other independent retailers to host a shopping crawl.

Even in today’s dismal economy, shrewd independent retailers are finding ways to remain profitable. In this issue, our featured hearth retailer, Fireplace Village in Bedford, New Hampshire, narrowed its product focus (eliminating patio furniture and grills) to reposition itself as a full-service hearth shop.

By taking these steps and focusing on Internet-based marketing, it is thriving, even during the recession. The other independent retailers showcased in this issue are performing well because of their innovative marketing techniques and strong customer-service programs.

The demise of the retail giant Borders proves that past performance is no guarantee of future success. The most successful retailers (whether national chains or momand-pop stores) will be those that proactively implement change, rather than becoming complacent about their current success. We salute those in our industry who understand this and are making the necessary changes to weather the uncertain economic climate.

CAROL DAUS EDITOR CAROL@PENINSULA-MEDIA.COM

Napoleon products are not just about performance.

They’re an expression of art & style, designed for every room in the home. ®

1-800-461-5581 napoleonfireplaces.com

Circle Reader Service No. 7

guest

EDITORIAL PUBLISHER

The HPBA: Working for You and Your Business

by WENDY HOWELLS

w

Wendy Howells

hile attending a recent Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) meeting, what occurred to me was how easy it is to take the many services we receive from the HPBA for granted—because the HPBA team is always there, working on our behalf. What would life be like, in our industries, if the HPBA’s staff members were no longer there to work tirelessly to protect and further our interests, or if we no longer had the support of our many volunteers?

Since its inception, the HPBA has fought vigorously on our behalf. Take, for example, the EPA’s revision of the New Source Performance Standards. In 1988, the HPBA fought for the manufacturers of wood-burning stoves and worked with the EPA to create today’s certification system for wood stoves.

Now, after more than 20 years, these standards are being revised—and, once again, the HPBA is going to bat for wood burning. A huge part of this effort involves educating the agency on the wood-burning–appliance industry.

Without this effort, consumers would not have the option to burn wood and manufacturers would not be making wood-burning products. Instead, we have clean-burning stoves, and we are partners with the EPA in educating consumers about responsible wood burning and about improving air quality by replacing old stoves with new EPA-certified stoves.

Now, the gas-fireplace industry is threatened on two different fronts. A final rule by the Department of Energy would essentially eliminate vented decorative gas fireplaces (a mainstay of the gas sector of the hearth-products industry).

When this rule became known, the HPBA immediately rallied to defend the product line from unreasonable regulation, notifying manufacturers that their products were being threatened, hiring experts and lawyers to challenge the unwarranted restrictions, and even (possibly) going to court to defend the industry.

This is a battle no single company could 8

Tony Ramos tramos@peninsula-media.com EDITOR Carol Daus carol@peninsula-media.com ART DIRECTOR Cass Estes cass@peninsula-media.com

afford to wage by itself; our strength is in our numbers and our organization.

Every company in the gas industry should be supporting the effort, or decorative products could become a thing of the past, which would not only be unfairly detrimental to our industry, but also to the many consumers who enjoy and value this product category.

In addition, fixed glass fronts on gasburning fireplaces are undergoing review by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Once again, the HPBA’s challenges are to alert the membership that this happening, to organize a team of experts, and to educate the commission about the products.

The HPBA is our conduit for collaborating with interested parties (such as the CPSC and the American National Standards Institute’s technical groups)— both to evaluate and establish ways of continually strengthening our ability to inform consumers about the safe use of our appliances and to help ensure that performance standards are based on sound science (and are not design restrictive).

We shouldn’t forget that the HPBA also provides the showcase where manufacturers show their products to the marketplace. HPBExpo is the primary (and largest) trade show for the fireplace and barbecue industries. This annual event features the newest technologies and the latest products for indoor and outdoor living, and it provides the forum for buyers and sellers to do business face to face.

Unlike for-profit trade shows, HPBExpo, sponsored and managed by the HPBA, puts the show’s profits back into industry programs for members and helps fund the regulatory battles we’re fighting. HPBExpo is the meeting and buying place for companies that have been in the industry for 30 years—and those that are just entering it. The show also generates a level of public-relations exposure that most companies couldn’t buy.

To specialty retailers in North America, HPBExpo brings management knowhow, technical expertise, and networking

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

opportunities that many can’t find in their communities. The seminars, sponsored by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Education Foundation (HPBEF) and held during the trade show, bring incomparable value to HPBExpo attendance.

The HPBEF’s certification program, the National Fireplace Institute® (NFI), certifies installers in the safe and proper installation of wood, gas, and pellet products. The NFI courses and exams are also offered at HPBExpo. When you support the show, either by exhibiting or by attending, you should feel satisfaction in knowing that your involvement is a great business investment for you—and that you are also supporting your industry.

One of the fundamental benefits of our association is its ability (through the HPBA’s affiliate organizations, as well as the annual HPBExpo) to bring industry players together to listen to each other’s points of view and to debate the most effective ways to grow our industry. This benefits us all and is, perhaps, the most basic reason that companies are members of their industry’s trade group.

Now is neither the time to be a spectator nor the time to assume that the other guy will carry the ball. The HPBA is only as strong as its membership—and without the HPBA, neither our industry nor our businesses would be as strong. Whether fighting our government-affairs battles, collecting industry statistics to track trends and growth, or educating (and promoting our products to) consumers, we are stronger—and louder—when unified.

Membership in the HPBA is an extremely worthy investment for any company doing business in the fireplace, barbecue, and outdoor-living industries. The HPBA is watching your back—and everyone’s back. If you are not a member, join today at www.hpba.org. It is vital to your business and to the industry.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kris Kyes kris@peninsula-media.com STAFF WRITERS Cheryl Dangel Cullen Cherise Forno Kimberly Rodgers Sharon Sanders SOCIAL-MEDIA EDITOR Amanda Daus CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Paul Piwowar BUSINESS MANAGER Susan Razetto CEO & PRESIDENT Tony Ramos

Corporate Office Peninsula Media 21250 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 700 Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 792-7448 Fax (310) 792-7449 www.patioandhearthproductsreport.com

Tony Ramos Peninsula Media 21250 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 700 Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 792-7448 (310) 792-7449/Fax (310) 968-3962/Cell tramos@peninsula-media.com

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES: Patio & Hearth Products Report PO Box 2190 Skokie, IL 60076-7890 Subscribe online:

Wendy Howells is chair of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association and is vice president and general manager of Lennox Hearth Products (Nashville, Tennessee).

http://www.peninsula-media.com/subscribe.html Email: patioandhearth@halldata.com Phone: (847) 763-9261

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by KRIS KYES

Hearth & Home Technologies Launches New Web Portal Hearth & Home Technologies (HHT), a leading provider of fireplaces, inserts, and stoves, will launch a new comprehensive Web portal for its dealers and distributors in late August 2011. The new site (www.MyHHT.com) will serve as a replacement for 12 of the company’s older sites, providing a central, easyto-use location where dealers can place orders, track shipments, and correspond with HHT employees.

Diane Utzman-O’Neill, senior vice president of marketing for HHT, says, “The main goal of the website is to make life easier for our channel partners. In one place and with one

login, our partners will be able to access all the tools and information they need, greatly simplifying and streamlining their business interactions with HHT. The system will recognize their business, their individual role, and brands carried, and will serve up customized content accordingly.”

When dealers sign in at MyHHT.com, the system recognizes them, so it can deliver customized content and relevant brands. Dealers can then place orders, track shipments, take Hearthville training, manage cooperative advertising and warranties, and access useful informa-

tion—such as owner’s manuals, marketing materials, and price lists.

The portal also offers new tools for lead management and simple claim submission. Online interaction with HTT has been enhanced using a forum called Interact, which is accessed by visiting MyHHT.com. In addition, a new HHT loyalty program, MyHHT Rewards, can also be reached through

this new Web portal. At MyHHT.com, partners can register for the loyalty program and track their progress.

Shade Solutions From TUUCI and Treasure Garden As retailers find themselves in the middle of the summer selling season, they are noticing that customers shopping for shade products not only are drawn to bold designs and colors, but are also demanding larger sizes to offer maximum protection from the sun.

Durability and ease of use are the other features that consumers consider when selecting a shade product. TUUCI (Miami, Florida) and Treasure Garden (Baldwin Park, California) offer a wide variety of new umbrellas and pavilions that customers will want for their outdoor areas.

According to Dougan Clarke, founder and CEO of TUUCI, its Ocean Master collection remains extremely popular this year; the sales figures for new products in the Ocean Master MAX and Plantation MAX collections are evidence of a growing demand for large shade products.

TUUCI introduced the new Plantation MAX cantilever this year. It features TUUCI’s exclusive AlumaTEAK™ finish, which provides the corrosion resistance, weather stability, and low maintenance of aluminum while

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being almost indistinguishable from real wood. The new MAX large parasols feature a polished-titanium marine finish, with both stainless-steel and marinecomposite components for durability.

“The construction of these products (along with our classic European tailoring) makes the Plantation MAX cantilever one of our most refined and beautiful new product entries ever,” Clarke says. “Our crank system makes the operation of our shade platforms easy, and the telescoping features of our masts ensure that our clients can deploy these large shade products without having to move furniture to do so.”

Treasure Garden offers a wide array of shade solutions because it recognizes that the size and design aspects of umbrellas are evolving and expanding to meet a broad variety of consumer needs. Jeff B. Dorough, vice president of sales and marketing for Treasure Garden, has noticed a heightened demand for pavilion products. As a result, Treasure Garden’s new pavilion, providing a roomy, enclosed 12x12-foot space, has been well received in the marketplace.

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

Treasure Garden’s collar-tilt collection (available in four sizes) is another popular, technologically advanced shade product. With the collar-tilt umbrella, people have the ability to adjust the angle of the umbrella easily to optimize shade at any time of day.

In keeping with the demand for large umbrellas, the cantilever collection continues to be a very hot seller. Featuring 10-foot square, 11-foot octagonal, and 13-foot octagonal umbrellas (the largest of which provides 133 square feet of shade), this multipurpose collection is popular with customers who seek maximum shade protection.

According to Dorough, Treasure Garden stands apart from competitors not only because of its high-quality products, but because of its sophisticated style and attention to detail. Treasure Garden offers more than 150 fabrics from Sunbrella®, as well as from Treasure Garden’s exclusive brand, O’bravia™. In 2011, Treasure Garden introduced an exclusive purple color, eggplant (from Sunbrella), that is selling extremely well.

TUUCI’s Plantation MAX cantilever umbrella and Treasure Garden’s exclusive Cannes cabana stripe fabric

A new hot-pink fabric from Sunbrella, plus an exclusive Cannes cabana stripe coordinating fabric, will be introduced for 2012. Dorough stresses that bright, fun, and upbeat colors are increasingly popular as people seek hues and designs to elevate their moods and visually enhance their yards.

He says that gray tones also continue to be popular this year, especially when paired with gold/yellow and purple/kiwi combinations. The Milan stripe, which is a combination stripe of gray, kiwi, and purple, will be featured in the 2012 O’bravia line; so will the New York stripe, which will combine gray, yellow, and gold to create an urban look. “Treasure Garden is the shade color authority,” Dorough says. “We have really beautiful, energetic colors for 2012.”

Bull Outdoor Participates in National Barbecue Awareness Program Bull Outdoor Products is proud to announce its sponsorship of and participation in this summer’s American Grill Master Experience. Michael McDearman, grill master, will Bull Outdoor’s involvement in this summer’s American Grill Master Experience has helped educate consumers and retailers about barbecue techniques. be performing grilling demonstrations to educate the public on how to make the best use of Bull Outdoor Products’ high-quality grills and accessories.

This educational tour will run in conjunction with the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) national barbecue competition. Spectators will learn barbecuing secrets and will get a glimpse of the professionals in action. The American Grill Master Experience and the KCBS-sanctioned professional grilling events will be taking place at 17 locations across the United States.

Mark Nureddine, president and founder of Bull Outdoor Products, says, “We are excited about being part of such a special event.” He adds that barbecue cooking is at the core of U.S. culture, saying, “We think this type of hands-on event is the best way to educate our consumers and to support our dealers across the entire country.”

The HammockSource Salutes Weaver Lenwood Haddock As part of this year’s National Hammock Day (July 22), The HammockSource formally recognized its longtime weaver, Lenwood Haddock, who weaves between 12 and 18 hammock beds a day, averaging roughly 90 to 120 per week. The HammockSource estimates that he has woven about 125,000 hammocks for the company since he started (nearly 25 years ago). If that weren’t enough, Haddock is also completely blind.

“The first hammock I wove took me all day,” he says.

Watching Haddock at work can be hypnotic. His right hand dances through the air, making rapid small loops with a big wooden needle wound with rope, his left hand running along the last row he’s woven, pulling and tightening. “If I slow down too much,” he jokes, “I’m liable to hit myself in the head.” Haddock will demonstrate his weaving techniques at The HammockSource’s booth at the 2011 Chicago International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market™ in September.

TURN UP THE AMBIENCE

WHILE ENJOYING CLEANER, GREENER HEAT.

Homecrest Launches New Website Homecrest Outdoor Living (Wadena, Minnesota) has launched a new website (www.homecrest.com). It allows users to navigate the site easily and gather useful information, design advice, and the ability to personalize their outdoor spaces—using both the Interactive Design Center (version 3.0) and the new easy-to-use Patio Planner powered by Icovia.

In redesigning the Homecrest website, Homecrest used a variety of search-engine optimization techniques to help generate increased traffic to the site and to its retailer network. Several social-networking services (such as Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter) were added to the website to educate the dealers and consumers of Homecrest products.

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Circle Reader Service No. 11

July/August 2011 Patio & Hearth Products Report

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{industry}

Big Green Egg Company Announces Staff Expansion

Twin-Star International Holds Fourth Annual Take Your Child to Work Day

Twin-Star International invited the future generation of Twin-Star fans to enjoy a day in parents’ seats for the fourth annual Take Your Child to Work Day. Those who work in Twin-Star’s global headquarters in Delray Beach, Florida, were encouraged to bring their kids to the office to participate in the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work national initiative. This year marked the 20th year of the program, which now has over 35 million youths and adults participating in over 3 million companies.

By allowing children to experience the workplace, Twin-Star hopes to inspire a generation of future workers to explore the opportunities and life choices that they have ahead of them. Twin-Star’s newest employees participated in teambuilding exercises, problem-solving activities, one-on-one employee interviews, and even arts and crafts. It wasn’t all business, though, as the kids were treated to an ice-cream–sundae party after their Mark Afsky, president of Twin-Star International, greets hard day’s work. Twin-Star International children during the company’s fourth annual Take Your is the manufacturer of ClassicFlame elecChild to Work Day. tric fireplaces.

Summerset Outdoor Living Expands Its Cushion Program Summerset Outdoor Living has expanded its custom-cushion program, in an effort to uphold the company’s mission to be the premier provider of high-quality outdoor furnishings (while giving superior customer service to its dealer network). Summerset Outdoor Living went from offering four stock Sunbrella® fabrics to carrying more than 40 Sunbrella fabrics for 2011–2012. In addition, it is willing to offer any of the Sunbrella fabrics that are not offered in its stock program by using the local Sunbrella distributor.

Anthony Rodriguez, president of Summerset Outdoor Living, explains that the expanded cushion program is another way that Summerset Outdoor Living is supporting its dealer network: by providing the whole outdoor-living package. Rodriguez stresses the importance of building relationships with other manufacturers and companies so that it can better support its dealer network.

Summerset Outdoor Living has already worked closely with other companies—handling their custom-cushion programs—and is willing to go the extra mile for customers, whether or not they carry the Summerset Outdoor Living line of furniture or need to have cushions made for another line. “We focus on supplying customers the entire package,” Rodriguez says. “We strive for customer service. We try hard to be a 24/7 company. In today’s age, we understand every deal helps make a difference to our dealers, and we want them to know we are there for them.”

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Big Green Egg Company recently expanded it staff by hiring key people in several departments. Rob D’Amico has joined the company to manage the interactive communications department. Previously Internet content manager with Clear Channel Radio, D’Amico has extensive experience with video production and website design, and will lead the company’s initiatives to offer informative and entertaining online content—including streaming videos of Big Green Egg Academy classes (available to all of the company’s dealers).

Jeff Martin has joined the company as manager of the graphics department, using his expertise with high-impact brand-building promotions to further the expansion of the company’s marketing efforts. Martin’s responsibilities will include the design and production of promotional- support materials, packaging, collateral materials, and point-of-sale materials.

Nick Goode has joined the company as marketing services manager. In addition to considerable industry-specific knowledge, Goode has hands-on expertise in media merchandising, dealer communications, point-of-sale marketing, direct mail, social media, and integrated marketing platforms. He holds a business-management degree from the University of Plymouth in England.

Ardy Arani, president of Big Green Egg Company, says, “These significant additions to the Big Green Egg team will pay immediate dividends, in terms of expanded capabilities within our marketing and promotions department.” It’s even more important that “this will position the company to support sales and dealer growth initiatives, both domestically and internationally, in the years ahead,” he adds.

D’Amico, Martin, and Goode will report to Jodi Burson, marketing manager.

In addition to the expansion within the marketing department, the company has enhanced the sales department with the hiring of Duane Davis as a customerservice representative. Davis has extensive experience in customer service and the food-service industry.

Lou West, sales manager, says, “This additional position within our customerservice department will provide immediate dividends to support the growing number of Big Green Egg dealers and owners throughout the country. We are very excited at the prospect of bringing a talent at this level into the Big Green Egg, and look forward to his contributions to our growth.”

Big Green Egg Partners With Laura’s Lean Beef Rodriguez notes that being dedicated to a fast turnaround is another attribute of Summerset Outdoor Living, allowing its dealers to capture more business. He says that in most cases, one to two weeks is the maximum turnaround time for its products. The company also understands that emergencies come up, and it is willing to work extra hours to produce cushions more quickly, should dealers need them.

In addition to providing a wider range of cushions with rapid delivery, Rodriguez says, Summerset Outdoor Living also works to maintain stable prices, despite increased prices for raw materials. He says that the company will continue to provide the same level of quality in its cushions, from the inside out, with no shortcuts in its manufacturing process.

All of these steps in the expansion of the cushion program show Summerset Outdoor Living’s commitment to being the premier provider for all outdoor-living products.

Summerset Outdoor Living will continue to promote and support its dealer base by providing more products, forming relationships with similar companies, and offering superior customer support.

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

Laura’s Lean Beef and Big Green Egg® are celebrating summer grilling season with an in-store promotion and an online sweepstakes running through August 22, 2011. The sweepstakes will be promoted in over 7,000 grocery stores nationwide with display posters and package stickers, as well as on each company’s social-media sites. Entrants have the opportunity to win one of 12 weekly prize packages, all of which include the Big Green Egg brand outdoor grill.

Chris Anderson, director of marketing for Laura’s Lean Beef, says that many people “plan to fire up the grill this summer, and a rapidly increasing number of these outdoor chefs are becoming health conscious and curious about sustainable living. Green and grilling now go together more than ever before, with a growing variety of options for grilling more natural foods in a more natural way. Laura’s partnership with Big Green Egg for our second annual summer grilling sweepstakes helps raise awareness of two brands leading the category, when it comes to grilling the natural way.”

Jodi Burson, marketing manager for Big Green Egg, says, “The Big Green Egg is one of the most versatile barbecue or outdoor-cooking products on the market, with more capabilities than other conventional grills and cookers combined. It can be used to sear, roast, bake, smoke, grill, and cook just about anything—from steaks, burgers, fish, and vegetables to pizza or a freshly baked loaf of bread.”

The insulating ceramic construction of the EGG retains heat and moisture so well that food doesn’t dry out during cooking. Beef, poultry, and other foods undergo little or no shrinkage and are naturally tastier because the juices and flavors stay locked inside. “That’s a real benefit, especially when you are preparing lean beef, which makes Laura’s Lean Beef and Big Green Egg a perfect combination,” Burson says. Visit www.facebook.com/laurasleanbeef or www.laurasleanbeef.com for entry details and official rules.

Trex Expands Licensing Agreement With Poly-Wood

the quality of strength.

In addition to the great variety of styles offered by the Monessen brand within MHSC, the new brand positioning highlights the brand’s overall value.

For years, Monessen products have had a reputation for offering great features at a great price. Consumers who buy Monessen products can feel good about making a smart purchase that will stand the test of time. The new logo takes the Monessen name into a more modern, all-

SIMPLE TO

capital font, and an oval badge distinguishes it from the background.

MHSC has begun its transition to the use of the new brand logos. All will be reflected in future product collateral and point-of-sale materials. “We know there is room in the marketplace for all of our brands to succeed,” Newcombe says.

“Reinvigorating the brands was just one step in our overall effort to build awareness, increase consumer demand, and ultimately, drive our sales and market share.”

C L E A N.

S I M P LY B E A U T I F U L.

Monessen Hearth Systems Launches Rebranding Program Monessen Hearth Systems Company (MHSC) is reinvigorating its three primary brands with new logos, taglines, positioning statements, and (coming soon) consumer websites. The new Vermont Castings, Majestic, and Monessen brand identities are designed for further differentiation of the brands from one another, as well as from competitors, for both consumers and dealers.

Rob Newcombe, vice president of sales and marketing for MHSC, says, “We have three great brands with tremendous mindshare among dealers and respect among consumers. Our goal, with this effort, is to breathe new life into the brands while defining and highlighting the positive attributes of each.”

Vermont Castings, the best-known MHSC brand, already is a symbol of quality and craftsmanship, and it will remain the company’s most premium offering.

The brand’s new positioning leverages its iconic styling and tradition while integrating its new innovations and style evolution.

The new logo features a more contemporary font and incorporates the appearance of shine in the silver border to convey the brand’s high-end positioning.

The new Majestic brand positioning

Its beauty, undeniable. Its cleanability, unmatched. Sunbrella® performance fabrics set the standard for ease of cleaning. Your customers will no longer have to worry about spills or stains in any room – indoors or out. Insist on Sunbrella with hundreds of fade-proof colors, patterns and textures, all backed by a 5-year warranty. For more information, call Glen Raven Customer Service at 336.221.2211 or visit www.sunbrella.com/clean.

Sunbrella® is a registered trademark of Glen Raven, Inc. Richard Frinier chair by Century Furniture LLC.

Trex Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and railing products, has announced that it has expanded its original September 2010 licensing agreement with Syracuse, Indiana-based Poly-Wood, Inc., to develop and market additional categories of stylish and comfortable outdoor-living furniture.

Under the expanded agreement, the Trex Outdoor Furniture™ collection will grow to include porch swings, rockers, and benches, along with retractable patio and deck shade umbrellas. All new designs will combine style, comfort, and durability and will complement low-maintenance and eco-friendly Trex outdoor-living spaces.

Ron Kaplan, chair, president, and CEO of Trex, says, “Our relationship with PolyWood has significantly expanded our brand presence in the outdoor-living arena.

With the expansion of our agreement, we’ll be able not only to offer consumers a complete spectrum of outdoor furnishings and accessories, but also to provide our professional partners with additional opportunities for sales.”

highlights its flexible, functional, and stylish offerings, but the focus is on its quality. Majestic ensures that every product passes a quality inspection, so consumers can have confidence in Majestic products. To illustrate this, the Majestic logo has undergone the most drastic change, with a capital M ensconced in a shield to connote the brand’s strength. A blue-and-black color scheme further conveys power, while a diamond in the center of the M adds interest and reinforces

Use your smartphone QR code reader to learn more.

OUTDOOR FURNITURE - INDOOR FURNITURE - WINDOW TREATMENTS - AWNINGS - UMBRELLAS

Circle Reader Service No. 13

July/August 2011 Patio & Hearth Products Report

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Glen Raven Introduces Recyclable Fabric

ENERVEX Welcomes Keith O’Brien Keith O’Brien has joined the ENERVEX team as the national sales manager for the residential market. O’Brien’s role with the company will be to focus on building the fireplace and stove market within the residential market. O’Brien’s previous experience includes serving as territory sales manager at the MSA Group for more than five years. He was responsible for increasing sales and adding new clients during an economic downturn.

O’Brien boasts more than 10 years of experience as national account manager for Intermatic Inc. He was able to Keith O’Brien increase business by 25% and was held responsible for managing the company’s relationship with The Home Depot. O’Brien comes highly recommended by previous colleagues, and ENERVEX is eager to have him join the team as sales manager.

Capel Rugs Names Daryl Peel Regional Sales Manager Capel Rugs, America’s Rug Company™, has named Daryl Peel regional sales manager for its Southwest territory. He brings 20 years of sales experience to the position. Peel comes to Capel with a background in upholstery and case-goods sales. He also has experience managing a successful furniture store. Peel is based in Houston, Texas, and will report directly to Allen Robertson, Capel’s vice president of sales. In his position, Peel will manage sales in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma.

John Lovelace Wins ENERVEX Smart Car Grand Prize John Lovelace, of Lovelace Brick Contractor L.L.C., Richmond, Virginia, is the official grandprize winner of the ENERVEX Smart Car sweepstakes. He was selected as the winner out of thousands of entries from across the country. The sweepstakes began on January 1, 2011, and ended on April 30; it was part of a nationwide advertising campaign to highlight the company’s name change from EXHAUSTO to ENERVEX. The energy-efficient Smart Car grand prize was chosen to emphasize the ongoing commitment of ENERVEX to green technology and sustainability. The Smart Car was on display at AHR Expo® (in Las Vegas, Nevada) and at HPBExpo (in Salt Lake City, Utah) earlier this year.

The name change to ENERVEX was designed to reflect the span of the company’s energy-efficient product offerings better. ENERVEX is a global leader in the design and supply of demandcontrolled mechanical draft and exhaust systems, focusing on innovation, design, and environmental sustainability in residential and commercial markets. ENERVEX operates in a number of countries, emphasizing the United States, Canada, Central America, and the Middle East.

Elizabeth Kenney Named Senior Contract Stylist for Capel Rugs Capel Rugs has announced that Elizabeth Kenney is a new member of its contract team, assuming the position of senior contract stylist. Kenney began her career as a designer in California for Momentum Textiles; from there, she joined MTL as the founding designer of the contract line. In 1997, she joined Sunbury Textile Mills as director of design, eventually becoming vice president of design for contract fabrics. Capel is thrilled to have Kenney on its contract team, alongside Melissa Battah and Christine McBryan.

Follow us on Twitter: @patiohearth Stay on top of the latest news and new-product introductions/collections in the patio, hearth, barbecue/ grill, outdoor-kitchen, and outdoor-living industry.

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

Building on its reputation for sustainable, high-performance fabric solutions, Glen Raven Custom Fabrics has introduced Heritage, a Sunbrella® furniture fabric featuring 50% recycled content. With a homespun look and an extensive color palette, the fabric is an expansion of the existing Sunbrella Renaissance collection of recycled products.

Suzie Roberts is vice president and furniture-fabrics business manager for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, maker of Sunbrella fabrics. She says, “We continue to see customers looking for products with green characteristics. A recycled furniture fabric is an obvious next step for our Renaissance program and fills a unique niche in our line for those customers who want a beautiful fabric that also tells a story.”

Heritage is a blend of postindustrial recycled Sunbrella and Sunbrella virgin fiber that helps ensure that the product meets stringent Sunbrella performance standards. The recycled content comes from cutting-table waste from various customers, as well as fiber, yarn, and fabric waste from the Sunbrella manufacturing facility. The waste is segmented into color groups, reduced back to its fiber state, and then dosed with Sunbrella virgin fiber before making its way through the manufacturing process.

Glen Raven’s New Facility to Feature State-of-the-art Solar Energy Glen Raven, Inc., has begun construction of a solar-energy installation on the roof of its Sunbrella® yarn-manufacturing center in Norlina, North Carolina. The solar array will be the largest under Progress Energy’s SunSense® commercial photovoltaic program, generating electric power roughly equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 47 typical homes. The $3 million project includes replacing the plant’s 175,000–square-foot roof with a highly reflective white roof that not only will enhance the performance of the solar panels, but also will improve cooling inside the plant. Completion of the solar installation is anticipated this fall.

Leib Oehmig, president of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics (the Glen Raven subsidiary that operates the plant and that manufactures and markets Sunbrella fabrics for awning, furniture, and marine applications), says, “This project demonstrates how a well-designed environmental program can have multiple benefits. When this project is completed, our plant will have an energy-efficient roof hosting a solar system that will also serve as a long-term provider of renewable electricity to Progress Energy and its customers.”

Glen Raven gave the Norlina solar-energy project a green light because of several factors that made the project both financially and environmentally feasible: new photovoltaic technology, federal and state tax credits, and a commitment by Progress Energy to purchase solar-generated power.

John Gant, manager of sustainable development for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, says, “While conventional solar panels only capture light directly from the sun, the photovoltaic panels we are installing at the Norlina plant are an open-grid design, which processes solar energy from 360 degrees—which greatly increases their energy-generation capacity.”

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corporate

PROFILE

Inspired by pieces located in the Winter Garden of Biltmore House, Whitecraft’s South Terrace is an allweather collection crafted of resin molded over an aluminum frame with a Viro® weave.

a hundred years of whitecraft

As Whitecraft approaches its century milestone, it continues to focus on being the best that it can be in the casual-furniture industry. by CHERISE FORNO

w

hitecraft, offering both outdoor and indoor furnishings, holds a unique place in the market by specializing in customized orders and diverse design options. Offering midrange to high-end furniture with cushions made to order, Whitecraft has established itself as a provider meeting a wide range of furniture needs.

The Ladson, South Carolina, company, which is approaching the 100th anniversary of its founding, continues to reinvent itself by introducing new collections and strong business principles into the market. Bill Herren, the company’s director of sales and marketing, says that Whitecraft offers several products that are unmatched in the current market, including its South Terrace collection (introduced this year). “Nobody in the industry makes anything like it, so far,” Herren says.

Whitecraft will showcase the South Terrace collection at the Chicago International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market™ for the first time this year. It will also unveil its new Sedona collection, which will be shown with Glen Raven fabrics.

Pieces in the South Terrace collection are inspired by the Winter Garden of the Biltmore® estate, built in Asheville,

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North Carolina, by the Vanderbilt family. Crafted using resin molded over aluminum frames, pieces of the collection boast a Viro® synthetic weave, designed for year-round, all-weather outdoor use.

Furnishings include exposed bamboo-like legs, as well as chair and sofa backs with unique designs that make a sophisticated and distinct aesthetic statement. Whitecraft’s 12-piece Sedona collection features standard and sectional seating. Its contemporary pieces are also crafted using a Viro weave with a natural honey finish.

Bill Herren

CUSTOM TOUCHES In addition to offering a wide variety of collections, Whitecraft also creates furniture pieces in custom sizes and styles. “We can customize just about anything,” Herren says. He notes that the company’s factory and its design team accept drawings from customers who are looking for

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purchase. Based on the results of a customer survey, Herren says that the majority of Whitecraft’s customers made their purchases based on appearance alone.

Other factors involved in choosing Whitecraft furniture were comfort, availability, and price.

Not only does Whitecraft make oneof-a-kind furniture, but it also has a long history of using natural materials (such as wicker) in the construction of its furniture. Both indoor and outdoor recyclable fabrics are available in the Glen Raven collection, and recycled plastic bottles are used in several designs. Woven materials are also environmentally friendly.

Whitecraft’s six-piece Sheridan dining collection appeals to customers who prefer contemporary, clean designs.

pieces to meet highly specific needs (whether aesthetic or functional).

Whitecraft owns two factories—one for indoor products and one for outdoor products—which gives the company more control over the quality, style, and delivery methods of orders. This ownership aspect gives Whitecraft the ability not only to process orders more efficiently, but to have superior control of the delivery time for orders.

With more than 160 fabrics available

for its pieces, Whitecraft offers more than enough variety for anyone hoping to create a unique design that will not be duplicated by neighbors (or other businesses). “Changing the fabric on a product can give it a completely different look from your neighbor’s product,” Herren says.

The number of fabric choices available for a piece of furniture (or an entire set) is extremely important because it often is the motivating factor that results in a

Sales Magnet.

CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Being in business for almost a century has allowed Whitecraft to develop a strong customer base and high-quality customer service. Manuel Dizon, the current owner of Whitecraft, purchased the company in 1984. Its primary function, at the time, was to serve as an outlet for a factory that made wicker furniture.

A second branch of the company produced high-end furniture in Miami, Florida. Now, the company is based near Charleston, where both indoor and outdoor furniture are made available to the

market. Today, approximately 80% of Whitecraft’s business is outdoor furniture.

The demand for its indoor furniture comes predominantly from the design industry.

Herren has been with the company for 24 years. He reports that many members of the customer-service staff have been working for Whitecraft for at least five years. This low staff turnover provides customers with a personal touch and an understanding of their needs, which can make the process of placing orders more smooth and efficient.

“Our customers get used to talking to the same people all the time, and it’s something they like,” Herren says. The longevity of its employees also seems to translate into a strong consumer base for the company. “It’s nice to have a core group of customers who have been with us for a long time, and I think that says something good about us as well,” Herren says.

With its focus on customized orders and unique designs, Whitecraft is positioned to do well in the years ahead. As the company moves into its next century of operation, it plans to do what it’s always done: create a superior product that looks good—at a nice price. Herren explains, “It has worked for us for 100 years.”

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Circle Reader Service No. 18

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

iving the Dream Residential | Contract | Hospitality

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follow us on Visit us at: Las Vegas Market | Aug. 1-5, 2011 | World Market Center, Building A| Showroom #248 Int’l Casual Furniture Market | Sept. 12-15, 2011 | Chicago Merchandise Mart | Showroom #1777 Circle Reader Service No. 19

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LIGHT

The season’s ample array of new products and accessories brings panache to outdoor rooms.

by CHERYL DANGEL CULLEN

backyardbliss

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here was a time when outdoor entertaining meant gathering the family around a picnic table on a concrete patio that was accented with a charcoal grill, a chaise, and perhaps a folding chair or two. Jay Branch, president of The HammockSource (Greenville, North Carolina), says, “That describes a place that sounds like little more than a temporary destination, not what most of us mean when we talk, today, about an outdoor room.”

Today, outdoor entertaining has taken on a new persona. The outdoor room is a destination, but is far from temporary. “The ultimate outdoor room is much more than just a section of a deck, patio, or porch with a couple of lounge chairs and a grill. The ultimate outdoor room is really a duplication of the most comfortable indoor room,” Branch says.

He continues, “You’ve got everything that makes your life comfortable inside, but you now have it out-

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side, where you’ve got the added benefits of the stars overhead and the natural breeze—plus a place for the smoke to go if you want to grill food or have a firepit.”

Stephanie Knackstedt, marketing/communications coordinator for Kingsley-Bate (Manassas, Virginia), adds, “An outdoor room bridges the gap between the design of the indoors and the outdoors. It is a true extension of your home.”

What is the difference, then, between a nice living room and an outdoor room? Mike Mallory, director of sales for Protégé Casual (Largo, Florida), says, “An outdoor room includes your living room, dining room, kitchen, breakfast area, bar, entertainment center, and perhaps even a shower—in one single room. It includes almost everything except your bedroom and bathroom.”

DESIGNING AN OUTDOOR ROOM For many people, it is difficult enough to design a

pleasing interior space to entertain; designing a space with no walls—which is susceptible to the weather (and is part of a relatively new trend)—can be even harder.

Designing a winning outdoor room involves expanding on a few basic principles.

“It is all about interviewing the clients,” Mallory says.

“How many people are in the family? Do they entertain?

Do they have an in-law suite? If they have a family of six and frequently entertain, they will need a table that seats at least eight. Start planning from there.”

He adds, “Creatively partition off areas with a sectional or two love seats facing a coffee table. Teach your sales staff how to get creative and achieve a proper flow of walkways between the interior and the outdoor room. It is about training your people and trying different things until you find what works.”

Branch recommends that salespeople ask homeowners about their favorite indoor rooms. He says, “Favorite indoor rooms tend to have a mix of attractive, comfortable furniture for extended lounging; curtains or window treatments of some kind, for privacy and to enhance room borders; and attractive carpeting or individual rugs. Preferred indoor rooms tend to offer ready access to entertainment options, plus space (and opportunities) for kids to play.

Typically, there’s also easy access to the home kitchen.”

Branch adds that in outdoor rooms, homeowners tend to gravitate toward a dedicated lounging area; outdoor rugs and curtains; climate control, perhaps using an overhead fan or heaters; a high-quality outdoor-cooking area with refrigeration available; outlets for laptops and other electronic devices; and entertainment options, including both television and music access (via wired or wireless speakers).

Page 20, top: The Westport collection from Kingsley-Bate offers the deep seating that homeowners want in an outdoor room.

Page 20, bottom left: This outdoor room includes everything that you would want in your indoor kitchen, all from Fire Magic (from left): an Aurora gas grill (#A660i-2EIN, $4,479); a double side burner (#3281, $925); a Legacy charcoal grill with a smoker hood (#14-SC001CA, $1,894); two storage access doors (#33924SR, $304); and a refrigerator (#3590A, $709).

CONSIDER THE CLIMATE Of course, designing an outdoor room and selling a homeowner on individual elements might depend on geography and the severity of seasonal changes. Elaine Remy, director of marketing for RH Peterson Company (City of Industry, California), says, “Patios are typically created for one season: summer. In creating an outdoor room, all seasons are taken into account by means of planning for sun exposure; barriers from wind and cold; and plans for cooling and heating the outdoor spaces using fans, firepits, fireplaces, and space heaters (along with the shade and rain cover provided by a market umbrella).”

Lynn Stearn, vice president of sales and marketing for SunBriteTV (Moorpark, California), recently converted her backyard space into an outdoor room. She says, “From experience, I believe the must-have elements in an outdoor space are weatherresistant outdoor-rated products. From the furniture to the barbecue to the entertainment products, all are engineered to stand up to the rigors of the outdoor environment and are rated for outdoor use by UL or by the Canadian Standards Association.”

Stearn continues, “After months of research, I now have a beautiful covered patio/deck area furnished with weatherresistant, top-of-the-line patio furniture— with sofas, lounge chairs, and a dining set.

I have a firepit and patio heaters (I would have loved a fireplace, but the space didn’t allow for it). We have an outdoor barbecue/kitchen, surround-sound audio and,

of course, a SunBriteTV 4610HD allweather outdoor television.”

It isn’t enough to provide elements like fans, heaters, and umbrellas. The layout of the space is key, too.

Knackstedt says, “Maintain quality and plan the living space with consideration for the time of day it will be used and the amount of sunlight desired.”

CHOOSING INDIVIDUAL PIECES Design preferences will often coincide with the tastes reflected in the home’s interior. Knackstedt says, “A well-designed outdoor room integrates furniture, lighting, rugs, and accessories that complement the home’s style and interior. If you are trying to strike a balance between the indoor and outdoor spaces of your home, maintain a level of quality that is congruent with the style of your home and furnishings.”

Branch says, “It’s about comfort and style. You don’t want to buy a bunch of uncomfortable stuff that you’re just going to look at and not use. Of course, you also don’t want something that’s hard to look at—so if it looks good, and it’s comfortable, then you’ve knocked out the main components of an outdoor room you’ll

Page 21, top: Lynn Stearn, vice president of sales and marketing for SunBriteTV, is pleased with her new outdoor room, which features a covered patio/deck area furnished with weather-resistant, top-of-the-line patio furniture, a firepit, patio heaters, an outdoor kitchen, surround-sound audio, and a SunBriteTV 4610 allweather outdoor television.

Page 21, middle: Protégé Casual's Manchester collection offers deep seating and dining pieces to help complete the ultimate outdoor room.

Page 21, bottom: Jay Branch, president of The HammockSource, says that a high-quality hammock is an ideal addition to an outdoor room because nothing is more fundamental to extended relaxation.

want to spend a lot of time in, right away.”

Remy adds, “If the family tends to linger around the table after a meal, perhaps the focus needs to be on a larger table, rather than on a traditional sofa/chair conversation area. Space permitting, and if there are small children, perhaps a dedicated play area and/or dining area for them (with a table-and-chairs set of an appropriate height) might be an option.”

She continues, “I love making s’mores, so for me, a firepit or fireplace would be a must. One space I would create, as a collector of wines, would be an area with barstools and an extended counter for wine tasting.”

Stearn agrees with Remy’s approach. “I have my large family over for dinner nearly every Sunday, so I wanted a well-designed space that would allow us to congregate,” she says. “I have lots of seating space and a well-equipped kitchen/barbecue area (so I can enjoy the outdoors and my family while cooking). What has been the most

enjoyable is having an outdoor home theater that allows the sports fans to be part of the family while watching the game.”

A STARTUP ROOM Not everyone can fully equip an outdoor room from the get-go. To start off, Dan Shimek, CEO of The Outdoor GreatRoom Company (Eagan, Minnesota), recommends a firepit table with a lazy susan on top, surrounded by comfortable seating. Then, situate a grill or grill island off to the side, install flame lighting accessories, and “tie it all together with a pergola type of product that helps define and make the space more comfortable,” he says.

Shimek recommends choosing products that “are exciting and inviting—that contribute to warmth and a great outdoor-room experience. People who enter the room should feel its warmth and appeal. You want the feeling of being enclosed in an outdoor room that is still open,” he says.

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LIGHT

Consumers who live in colder climates might wrestle with deciding whether an outdoor room is a worthwhile investment.

Branch says, “You can certainly have a terrific outdoor room in Chicago, Illinois, especially since many longstanding notions are now changing about the ideal time of year for spending time outdoors.”

He explains, “Labor Day is no longer the absolute benchmark for the end of outdoor enjoyment, especially if your outdoor room is in a partially enclosed area, with quality outdoor curtains used as borders to the actual outdoors. What are now often dubbed the shoulder seasons, early fall and late spring, offer some of the finest opportunities for relaxation in a well-designed outdoor room.”

Stearn says, “You can have a beautiful outdoor room, in any climate, with the right design. In extremely cold-climate areas, it is important to have the area sheltered, so that the heat doesn’t escape the space in the winter. Of course, have lots of outdoor gas- or radiant-heating units to warm the area for outdoor enjoyment.”

THE BIG COVER-UP When the season does come to an end,

many climates will require covering the outdoor-room investment. “If you purchase weather-resistant, outdoor-rated products, and if you have the proper covers, you should be OK on most of your outdoor items,” Stearn says. The use of covers can be based on personal preference, climate, and the degree to which the homeowner trusts the manufacturers of weatherproof products.

Shimek says, “The beauty of most of the products is they can stay in place all year. The cushions need to come inside, but the wicker furniture (if of a good grade), grills, firepit tables, and so forth can all stay outside.”

Knackstedt likes having a cover over the outdoor room itself. “For places with a shorter summer season, consider a design where the outdoor room is covered, so furniture doesn’t have to be stored or maneuvered around,” she says. It isn’t just homeowners in colder climates who are weighing their options; those in warmer climates can be reluctant to invest in outdoor rooms because there are so many months when it is considered too hot to be outdoors.

“Climate varies tremendously all across

the country, which means that we all have to make some routine weather allowances in enjoying our time outdoors. In Chicago, for instance, where they have lots of snow, people can’t really use their outdoor products year-round,” Branch says.

He adds, “Here in Eastern North Carolina, though, we get extreme heat and humidity in summer that make it so you can’t really enjoy time outdoors.” Whether homeowners live where the summers are too hot or where the winters are too cold, they can usually enjoy three seasons outdoors if they take the shoulder seasons into account.

Regardless of where one lives, “By selecting quality items and keeping them covered from the elements, you can still have a great outdoor room,” Remy says.

Stearn agrees, saying, “Good-quality outdoor products may seem expensive at the time of the initial outlay, but it is important to look at years of life—and never forget the importance of the confidence and convenience factors that come with quality products. These products are built to withstand all the elements.”

She continues, “I don’t care where you live: It comes down to taking the time and

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money to make it happen. When you take it that seriously, you are more likely to do it well; that is when better furniture and better items come into play.”

WHAT’S NEXT Have outdoor rooms gone as far as they can go? Branch says, “I think most people would say, ‘I can’t imagine what else they’ll come up with,’ but the minute you think you’ve thought of everything, somebody comes up with something new and innovative. I don’t think anybody’s ever going to reinvent the chair, but they’ll reinvent how the chair functions, how it looks, and how it’s used.”

Stearn says, “Every year, I am more amazed at the array of amenities available for the outdoor space. Homeowners have a choice of pure designer masterpieces of fine furniture, carpeting, lighting, and artwork, as well as a full outdoor selection of kitchen appliances. I can’t imagine what more could be available, but I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.”

Mallory adds, “I see a younger generation coming into our industry, so new ideas will pop up soon. I think there is a lot more we’ll see in the future.”

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marketing M A N E U V E R S

outside the ordinary Enticing vignettes (with themes like the man cave) and savvy Internet strategies have helped put Desert Patio on the map. by KIMBERLY RODGERS photography by BRIAN HELDER

One could say that William Thomas has been comfortable selling the finer things in life throughout his entire retail career.

After graduating from the University of Rochester, Thomas spent many years working in the luxury-jewelry market.

He says, “When I decided to start my own business, I looked for a retail opportunity that required somewhat less capital investment than a jewelry store, but had quite a few of the same components, such as selling high-quality goods and highend brand names, handling discriminating customers, and needing to provide excellent customer service.” Since the high-end outdoor-furniture and -accessories market was a perfect fit with his background, Thomas opened Desert Teak—a 2,000–square-foot site located in Palm Desert, California—in 2006.

“I wanted to specialize in fine-quality teak furniture. There wasn’t anybody in 24

the area focusing on it, although there were other patio stores selling high-end teak products,” Thomas says. He worked with an importer and had fully intended to expand on the teak concept, but his shoppers’ desires led him in a slightly different direction.

He says, “The tremendous demand for wicker from our customers really started everything. People were asking for wicker tables, chairs. and side pieces, along with teak, so we started offering it—and then, we decided to jump in with both feet.”

Thomas still believes that teak is the perfect material for the extreme sun and heat of the Palm Springs area’s climate. He says, “Teak seems to be a natural choice for this weather. It is very resilient, can withstand great extremes in temperature, and doesn’t get hot to the touch, yet the majority of our customers requested resin and metal furniture.”

Early in 2009, Thomas moved to a 6,000–square-foot location in nearby Rancho Mirage and renamed his operation Desert Patio. Today, he offers a complete lineup of aluminum, resin wicker, sling, and teak furniture from top-name manufacturers (including Telescope

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

Casual, Koverton, Sunset West, Summerset Outdoor Living, NorthCape International, Ratana, Caluco, Teakman, Galtech, and Shade Depot).

Thomas says, “I am grateful to the manufacturers I work with because they really helped us, as we started selling beyond teak. They took a risk in a down economy, but we had the confidence that we could fill an open space in the market, and our manufacturers supported us. I can’t thank them enough.”

MARKETING THE MESSAGE In the first few years of running his business, Thomas employed a proactive marketing approach to sway shoppers toward visiting his location. He says, “We did focus on some very strong branding, but also on strong messages, with call-toaction marketing.”

One such device was offering coupons, both in the local newspaper and on the Internet. Thomas says, “Coupon programs were certainly not widely used in the area—or even used at all, when we first started doing them. Contrary to the national trend, the local newspaper readership here is quite strong, and Internet

use is also high, so we had great success with that.”

Thomas continually works on Desert Patio’s website (www.desertteak.com) to optimize its placement in search engines, and he is also in the process of launching an online-commerce operation. He says, “We feel that to offer to sell from the Internet is very important. Because of our market area, our priority will still be the one-on-one relationship with the customer, but to offer that framework is definitely most necessary today.”

Thomas believes that retailers with an online presence have some distinct advantages. “It puts you on a certain level with Top right: Since it maintains its natural beauty and durability in extreme temperatures, teak furniture is a big hit with Desert Patio’s customers.

Top left: Vignettes in Desert Patio's showroom are merchandised to reflect the level of interior design expected in a home.

Bottom: A successful career in the luxury-jewelry industry led William Thomas to enter the high-end outdoor-furniture and accessories market in 2006.

Circle Reader Service No. 25

marketing M A N E U V E R S the consumer, saying that you are a large company, an up-to-date company, and a business that knows how to operate in the current environment,” he says.

Desert Patio’s primary focus will still be on the traditional consumer but, Thomas says, “Customers have also come to expect some kind of Internet presence from retailers.”

To reach as many different segments as possible, Desert Patio’s marketing includes four-color branded advertising in the local newspaper and traditional magazines.

Thomas says, “We tried radio, but we felt that even though the copy was written well, it didn’t paint with a strong enough visual palette for outdoor furniture. The image of a patio set by a pool in a print ad literally paints the picture for consumers, and they are able to see a color or look that they like that drives them into the store, or certainly to give us a call.”

A NOTCH HIGHER Customers who walk into Desert Patio are treated to a colorful and bright setting, reflecting the natural beauty of the Palm Springs area. The showroom floor is changed regularly, with a unique twist on the traditional settings usually found in a patio showroom.

For example, some vignettes currently on display feature an outdoor version of the popular man-cave theme. Thomas says, “We try to match decorating the outdoor patio of a home with the latest trends in interior design, and one of those is the man cave or the man space. It’s an outdoor place where the gentlemen of the house can feel comfortable, watch sports on television, relax, and maybe have brandy and cigars.”

The vignettes have been a big hit with Desert Patio’s customers, and Thomas has seen positive results from them. He says, “They have been pretty popular, so far.

The women laugh, and it gives the men some focus in the store.” One such space features six Savona Elite cushion chairs from Telescope Casual, a 54-inch chat table that sports an ice bucket in the center and has room for ashtrays, and a bigscreen television. Thomas says, “Men can see themselves in this space.”

Throughout the showroom, the merchandising goal is to inspire customers.

“They will see some cutting-edge designs that their interior designers are working on; our goal is to help them with their exterior spaces in the same way,” Thomas says. Along with five full-time employees, he works with a retired interior designer to help clients who want a professionally designed backyard.

He is also happy to work with the many contractors who come to the store on behalf of their clients. “We try to help everyone as much as possible. For example,

we have created a site-plan map, which helps clients map out an outdoor room.

It’s a simple piece of paper (with our logo and a few design suggestions), but it definitely is a worksheet that helps them start to plan their outdoor spaces, in terms of dimensions and traffic flow—the same way a designer would start when furnishing the interior of a home,” Thomas says.

Customers and their contractors really appreciate the site plan, and many come back to the store with the plan complete, ready to make their selections.

Thomas says, “I think elevating outdoor furniture to the same seriousness as indoor design is critical to specialty retailing. If not, then everyone is going to buy things, sight unseen, over the Internet—or go to the big-box stores and just live with the results that they throw together.” continued on page 89

Gazebos Create Perfect Outdoor Retreats

by KIMBERLY RODGERS

G

azebos have an interesting and rather long history, which can be traced back at least 5,000 years. Outdoor covered structures were first built as towers, on the roofs of homes, to provide views of the surrounding land. Eventually, gazebos moved to the ground, where they were used in the gardens of Egyptian royalty and among the affluent and aristocratic classes in ancient Rome and Pompeii.

Gazebos were first seen in the United States in the mid-1880s and were viewed as status symbols, with the rise of the new middle class. At the beginning of the 20th century, as homes were built with grand porches, gazebos fell out of favor.

They had a resurgence in the 1930s, but lost appeal again after World War II, during the boom years of building tract houses with patios.

In the mid-1980s, gazebos made a comeback—and today, with the expansion of outdoor living, homeowners are more excited than ever to add a covered structure to define an eating area, create a gathering spot, provide shelter, and generally enhance the overall look of an outdoor space.

Since 1994, Country Lane Woodworking (New Holland, Pennsylvania) has been supplying gazebos, pavilions, pergolas, and cabanas, through its dealer network, to satisfy the needs of customers throughout the United States and Canada. The company has even shipped products to England, South Korea, Spain, and African countries.

Samuel Stoltzfus began Country Lane Woodworking by first building gazebos, with his brothers, in a small shop on his

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family’s farm. Today, a team of approximately 25 employees provides all manufacturing and sales support from the company’s three buildings in Lancaster County.

Country Lane Woodworking offers an incredible selection of options, so consumers can design and purchase outdoor structures that best suit their individual needs, design tastes, and budgets. From the type and style of the roof and whether the structure is made of wood or vinyl to the color, flooring choice, and railing design, the possibilities for creating a unique outdoor structure are almost endless.

According to Jonas Stoltzfus, sales manager, the company’s sales are spread about evenly among pavilions, pergolas, and gazebos. “Gazebos have always been our number-one item, and they have been the core of our business for the past 17 years,” he says.

While gazebos remain popular, Country Lane Woodworking has experienced phenomenal growth in pavilions and pergolas.

“When the outdoor-living trend exploded a few years ago, we began offering pavilions and pergolas, and I believe that is why our company has continued to grow,” Stoltzfus says. Currently, the company’s best sellers are its wooden Artisan pergola and its vinyl pavilion. He adds, “Many people are putting pavilions next to outdoor pools and pergolas over patios, so we are following right along with what is going on in the outdoor lifestyle.”

All Country Lane Woodworking structures are designed and manufactured by a dedicated team of expert craftspeople, and they are backed by a 10-year warranty

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

and a complete customer-satisfaction guarantee. Stoltzfus says, “There are gazebo competitors, but what sets us apart is our quality, which comes from our design and from our craftspeople (who pay attention to the details).

Other gazebos may look the same, when you are standing Along with gazebos (which are available with a range of options 200 feet away, but when you and features), Country Lane Woodworking also manufactures get up close and look at them pavilions and pergolas to complete any outdoor space. and shake them, you see the quality in our products.”

He also notes that while there are competitors that manufacture All products are shipped to dealers in only gazebos or only wooden pergolas, easy-to-assemble kits, but dealers located Country Lane Woodworking is one of the in nearby states can also choose to receive few companies that offers such a wide gazebos fully assembled. In addition to sellselection of all types of outdoor structures. ing through its dealer network, Country Stoltzfus says, “It’s our variety and large Lane Woodworking offers products through scale of products that have given us an its own local dealership. Stoltzfus says, advantage over the competition as well.

“This allows us to keep more in tune with Since we don’t build only with wood or what the customer is asking for and the vinyl—or only gazebos or pergolas—we direction of the industry. In turn, this helps can supply a dealer with a full line of shelus to educate our dealers about what custers in many different models and designs.” tomers are saying.”

Stoltzfus stresses that in addition to Good communication with dealers is also offering a high-quality product, providing essential. Stoltzfus says, “We keep our dealexcellent service is key to the company’s ers informed with biweekly emails and success. He says, “I would describe our newsletters throughout the year; we hold service as more of a relationship with our training every February, offering educational dealers. When we start working with dealseminars on sales and marketing. We are a ers, we establish a relationship, refer to very innovative company and are always them as partners, and support them with investing in innovation and new products to an office staff that is available to them to keep our dealers on the cutting edge of answer all their questions and meet all the market.” For more information, visit their needs.” www.countrylanegazebos.com.

design . innovation . durability

shade experience : made in miami

www.tuuci.com Circle Reader Service No. 27

hearth R E TA I L E R Left: Fireplace Village has set itself apart in New England as a hearth specialist with top products, lifetime service, and professional installation.

Below: From left, Mike Mussog, Jeff Horine, and Roger Mercier of Fireplace Village

hard-core

hearth

Fireplace Village narrowed its product

focus to maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

by SHARON SANDERS

photography by ROBERT FALCO

d

on’t expect to purchase a hot tub, patio furniture, or a grill at Fireplace Village (based in Bedford, New Hampshire)— because you won’t find them. After the U.S. economy took a dive, the 39–year-old hearth retailer took a serious look its business and decided that the best strategy for the future was to go hard-core hearth.

Over the past the past three years, the five-store hearth chain, which is the largest in New Hampshire, has eliminated all of the extras and has repositioned itself as a full-service specialty hearth shop.

Fireplace Village was founded by Brian Connelly in 1972 (in Worcester, Massachusetts) as a woodstove shop. Over the years, it grew to become the first hearth retail chain in the New England area that was more than a mom-and-pop operation.

When Connelly retired in 2003, business partners Mike Mussog and Jeff Horine bought Fireplace Village, with a vision for growth. The first few years went as planned, with sales increasing every year; then, the economy abruptly caused them to alter their path.

With revenues down, Fireplace Village made the decision to do the opposite of what most retailers were doing at the time: It narrowed its product offerings instead of broadening them. Fireplace Village needed to be conservative with its capital, so it chose to eliminate anything that didn’t add value and that was a distraction to its hearth business. This included patio furniture and the high-end grills that had once been consistent moneymakers.

“The dynamic of the business had changed. People 28

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

were looking for deals, and they could go almost anywhere to get a gas grill. It wasn’t a differentiator for us anymore,” Mussog recalls. What Fireplace Village did was shift its focus to its core strength, in hearth products: wood-burning, gas, and pellet appliances—and everything that went with them, from installation to annual maintenance. With all the distractions out of the way, it was full speed ahead.

SETTING A NEW PACE Today, Fireplace Village is a hard-core hearth operation that serves almost the entire state of New Hampshire, along with other parts of New England.

The region is historically known as one of the biggest consumers of hearth products and services in the nation, with many homeowners owning two or three heating appliances to supplement their central heating.

“I have no doubt that we made the right move because New England has an inherent hearth culture.

People love the look, smell, and feel of a fire in their homes, not to mention all the efficiency benefits these appliances bring,” Mussog explains. All five of the Fireplace Village showrooms in central and southern New Hampshire are stocked with the latest designs and most efficient hearth appliances available on the market, including products from HearthStone, Heat & Glo, Jøtul, Napoleon, and Vermont Castings.

Fireplace Village is set up to meet all the service and aftercare needs that come with owning a hearth appliance or a traditional masonry hearth, including

annual maintenance, repairs, and chimney cleaning.

Its in-house team of installers is fully trained and certified to install and service all of its appliances.

“We are selling the value package to consumers that we can do everything for them over the long term, not just sell them a product and send them on their way. There is money to be made in aftercare that can benefit a retailer in the off season; it’s not just about initial sale,” Mussog says.

People who buy Fireplace Village’s high-end hearth products are typically committed to extending the life of their investments, so they take full advantage of its services. “The funny thing is that through all the turmoil, we continue to grow with our best brands. I think it is a testament to the quality of our products and the whole process of not just selling the appliance, but installing and servicing it through its lifetime,” he adds.

HEARTH SPECIALISTS The image of Fireplace Village has become of primary importance. The company is positioning itself as a hearth expert at every point, from the sales floor to its Internet-based marketing. Mussog believes that when a retailer is viewed as an expert, everything associated with that retailer has a better perceived value.

For that very reason, the company has shied away from cutting prices and has focused on demonstrating the value of its products and its service capability.

Over the past few years, Fireplace Village has used social media and online marketing to help shape its

Circle Reader Service No. 29

hearth R E TA I L E R Diversification

DrivesGrowth

for WoodMaster

by SHARON SANDERS

The WoodMaster Flex Fuel furnace

oodMaster® is one of the biggest names in outdoor wood-burning furnaces in North America. Never content to be just another furnace company, WoodMaster has recently taken its passion for heating to the next level by introducing a number of new products.

These include pellet grills, an entry-level forced-air furnace, and the European-designed Flex Fuel furnace (which can burn three fuels). New and longtime WoodMaster dealers are thrilled to be introducing these offerings on their showroom floors, as they look for ways to boost sales in 2011.

The company first came onto the hearth scene in 1989, after

W

Minnesota farmer Chuck Gagner designed and built a simple, easy-toclean wood furnace to heat his house. Gagner’s concept took shape when he took his favorite features from his past furnaces and melded them together to create his idea of the perfect heating appliance.

To his surprise, it quickly gained a following among friends and neighbors, and eventually, he began selling it to local retailers. By spring 1991, Gagner and his brothers, Bruce and Ron, had moved the growing business to Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, so that they could begin manufacturing and selling the units outside the local area.

Today, WoodMaster products (manufactured by Northwest Manufacturing, Inc.) can be found in homes across North America. The

company has earned a reputation as a manufacturer that has some of the most innovative and efficient furnaces on the market. It is also committed to finding pioneering uses for natural energy and alternative fuel sources.

AN EXPANDING FOCUS In 2010, WoodMaster ventured into a new avenue of business when it partnered with an Austrian furnace manufacturer, SOLARFOCUS, to bring the first bioenergy Flex Fuel furnace to the United States. The company wanted to design a wood-burning furnace that would meet the standards of the EPA’s Voluntary Low Mass/Low Emission Fireplaces Program; Gagner says, “It just made sense for us partner with a company that had a proven product, rather than starting from scratch ourselves.”

The company now makes the furnace, in its Red Lake Falls factory, as the WoodMaster Flex Fuel. It is able to burn up to three fuels, including cordwood, wood pellets, and wood chips.

The EPA’s Burn Wise website (www.epa.gov/burnwise/owhhlist.ht

Circle Reader Service No. 30

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

ml) shows it to be the cleanest phase 2 outdoor wood-burning hydronic heater in industry, with an annual average emissions level of 0.04 pounds per million Btu of heat output.

WoodMaster has also partnered with ABioNova, a Swedish manufacturer, to offer its first commercial boiler system, the WoodMaster BioMax. The BioMax boiler makes it possible for commercial operations to convert more affordably to biomass heat. It uses wood chips or wood pellets to heat water; the hot water, in turn, runs heating systems for buildings and grounds of any size and scope.

For 2011, the company has introduced the WoodMaster D400 deck pellet grill and the WoodMaster T1000 Mini Hog pellet grill, which can be used to smoke, grill, and even bake food. These autolighting grills cook food using forced-air technology that creates circulated heat, as a convection oven does. “They are the easiest, safest, and most versatile way to cook outdoors,” Gagner says. The fuel pellets, which come in a number of flavors (including apple, cherry, hickory, and mesquite), contain mois-

ture that creates juicy, tasty results.

In July, the company also debuted its WoodMaster Force 20 furnace, designed for the consumer who is looking for furnace that is reliable and affordable. The entry-level pellet unit uses forced air instead of a boiler to generate heat. Its cost is considerably lower than that of a traditional hot-water furnace.

Gagner is excited about the possibilities that the company’s recent diversification brings. “There are very few companies in the United States that have products like ours, and even fewer companies actually manufacturing them here in the United States,” he explains, adding that he’s always looking for new ways to innovate.

He says, “Our product lineup appeals to a broader market than ever before. This not only will bring new business our way, but will also attract a new type of customer to our current dealers. I am confident that our products, coupled with our knowledgeable dealer network and excellent customer support, give us what we need to stay at the top of our game.”

Empire Comfort Systems, maker of Broilmaster Premium Gas Grills, introduces the Carol Rose Coastal Collection – outdoor fireplaces in traditional and contemporary styles to light up your al fresco entertaining. Proven gas fireplace technology meets shimmering stainless steel to add warmth and illumination to your extended living space.

Become a fan on Facebook facebook.com/Broilmaster follow us on Twitter @MrBroilmaster

w w w. e m p i re c o m f o r t . c o m Circle Reader Service No. 31

hearth R E TA I L E R

Above: Fireplace Village (Bedford, New Hampshire) is the local go-to spot for everything hearth related.

Right: One can find hearth products from A to Z on Fireplace Village's showroom floor.

image. From hearth how-to postings on its Facebook page to YouTube installation videos and photo placement on manufacturers’ websites, the company has infiltrated the Web with its hearth expertise. “If I were buying a fireplace or stove and wanted to find out how it would perform or look in my home, the first place I would go is the Internet,” Mussog explains.

Fireplace Village has created a very successful blog that is the anchor for its online-marketing efforts. Through the blog, Fireplace Village shares opinions and news, and it answers questions about hearth topics that are relevant to consumers. The blog entries typically include everything from short news items about the latest oil prices to extensive articles about how to retrofit an old fireplace with a new insert.

Fireplace Village also houses thousands of its installation and product photos on the Flickr® online photo-sharing/management service. “We share photos with consumers so they can see what products may look like in their homes. I

think it really helps them make a decision about purchases,” Mussog says.

He adds that it’s hard to visit any industry website or search online for hearth products or brands without seeing an image of a Fireplace Village installation or product. He says, “We’re just a little company in New England that takes advantage of the big opportunities of social media to position ourselves as the experts we are.”

POISED FOR THE FUTURE Through all the uncertainties and changes of the past few years, Fireplace Village is optimistic about the future. It

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

• Fireplaces • Fire Pits • Pizza Ovens • Brick Ovens • Kitchen Islands • Pergolas • Storage Cabinets

Look For Exciting New Items in Our 2011 Product Catalog Circle Reader Service No. 32

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has everything in place to move forward and stay strong in the still-erratic economy. Mussog praises the efforts of the company’s employees, who have maintained professionalism and a good attitude through the events of the past few years.

They make up a strong team that knows how to gain and keep customers’ trust.

“I believe that a business can weather any storm if it has talented employees, has the right products, and is able to leverage what it does best,” Mussog explains. “I am proud to say that we are one of those businesses.”

Download Our Catalog To Your Smartphone

Circle Reader Service No. 33

outdoor G R I L L I N G Right: All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop not only is serious about grills and grilling, but is passionate about encouraging people to enjoy life through food.

Bottom: From left, Dave Backs, Mike Martin, John David Riley, and Dan Sandlin of All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop

the

grill guru

i

n the shadow of the majestic hills and lush green landscape of Bowling Green, Kentucky, is a retail store that cares just as much about encouraging people to love life as it does about making a sale. All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop is a welcome breath of fresh air, at a time when consumer confidence is recovering from a low point. Owner Dave Backs has spent the past eight years building a strong, smart retail operation with tons of heart.

In 2004, Backs and his wife, Sharon, bought All

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

Dave Backs’ lifelong passion for grilling has fueled his business and has helped turn others into diehard grillers.

by SHARON SANDERS photography by RPM PHOTOGRAPHY NASHVILLE

Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop from the Anschultz family (which had opened the store in 1999). Backs had 30 years’ experience in the grill industry, working in many capacities—from retail salesperson to national sales manager—and he was ready to get off the road and settle down with a store of his own.

“I wanted to get back into retail, where I had started and had always gotten the most satisfaction,” he remembers. Backs hit the ground running with the new business, which already had a great reputation in the commu-

nity, along with a seasoned sales team.

In the first few years, Backs spent his time fine tuning the store’s product mix (adding 50% more grills, including grill islands) and introducing customers to his relationship style of retailing. “Every single person who works here loves what he or she is doing, and that is the heart of All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop,” Backs explains.

“People come to us not just for our products, but for the experience we give them during the entire sales process.”

All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop has gained a reputation in the community not only for its personality on the sales floor, but for its involvement in local events—including everything from customer-appreciation days to fraternity parties. “When we are invited to an event, we bring a gas grill and a smoker, so people can taste and compare the food cooked on each one,” Backs says. “It’s fun, and it gets people to ask questions about the food and the grills. Everybody in our neck of the woods knows who we are. We are seen as experts, so people come to talk to us about cooking, rubs, sauces, and marinades.”

On most Saturdays, the All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop staff fires up one or two of its grills and makes food for customers. Backs has personally trained every one of his employees in the art of grilling, and he considers them to be grilling maestros.

“There is not one person on my staff who can’t whip up something delicious on a grill or smoker. My theory is that if you can make six things on a grill really well, every-

Circle Reader Service No. 35

outdoor G R I L L I N G Onward Manufacturing Expands in the United States T

he portfolio of grill products offered by Onward Manufacturing Company Ltd. (Waterloo, Ontario) keeps growing to serve its customers’ needs even better. The company, respected for its Broil King®, Broil-Mate™, and Sterling® brands, is also the sole Canadian distributor of Weber-Stephen products.

It recently acquired a new factory in Huntington, Indiana. Ted Mealing, director of marketing, says, “The acquisition was an opportunity to expand our capacity in North America, and in the United States specifically. It also placed us close to many key quality suppliers.”

One of the brands manufactured at the Huntington factory is called Huntington. In a second plant in Dickson, Tennessee, Onward Manufacturing will be producing models under the already-established Fiesta Gas Grills brand.

Mealing says, “The acquisition now gives us a core U.S. lineup. We are in a good position to establish these brands and position them to fit within our portfolio.” Mealing adds that Onward Manufacturing made a conscious decision to invest in the United States.

He says, “Anywhere you look these days, there is a favorable trend toward products made in the United States. I think there are advantages to it—from where we source materials to quality of materials and the way

Onward Manufacturing is expanding U.S. production of its grills, including the Huntington model (left) and the Imperial series from the company’s flagship brand, Broil King.

we approach production, as a company— that will help us to remain competitive.”

Onward Manufacturing’s flagship brand, Broil King (which has a growing base with specialty retailers), will also be manufactured at the Indiana plant. Mealing says, “We are focused on building the Broil King brand through our Regal and Imperial series and in our core lineup of cast-aluminum products, which covers the Sovereign, Signet, Crown, and Monarch lines.”

Onward Manufacturing values the relationships that it has with its specialty dealers, and it is committed to providing them with continued marketing support for the Broil King brand. Mealing says, “We have some strong programs for our independent dealers and try to focus on ones that help them build their businesses, such as traffic-

one will think you are a grill genius. I tell that to my customers as well,” he adds.

Backs himself is seen as a local grilling expert, mostly due to the fact that he hosts a weekly cooking show called “Midday Live” on the local ABC affiliate. He has been doing the show for eight years, so it has brought much attention to the store, positioning it as the place to go for grills. In each seven-minute segment, he introduces a different recipe that he and his wife have created at home, themselves.

Backs tells his viewers that anything that can be cooked in a kitchen can be cooked outdoors on a grill, with just a few minor adjustments. He has made everything from hollandaise sauce to asparagus and pork shoulder. The format of the show is simple. The first part features Backs preparing the day’s recipe indoors in a kitchen, and then he heads outside to grill the food for the second half of the show.

He cooks on grills and smokers that are sold at his store, and he talks about them as he is grilling the food. “The show inspires people to look at grilling in a different way.

They can make so much more than hot dogs, chicken, and steak. I always encourage people to enjoy life, with their families and friends, through food,” he says.

STAYING ON TRACK While All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop’s cus36

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

to-store programs (as opposed to simply trade allowances).”

He adds, “We put a lot of detailed support and effort into marketing our product to help retailers merchandise our grills properly. Educating the retailer’s staff through product-knowledge sessions is also very important, from basic sales skills to explaining the advantages of the different features our grills offer and what they mean to a consumer.”

Through this period of growth, Mealing notes, the company continues to manage its various marketing channels carefully to avoid any confusion or conflict. He says, “We are managing growth and making sure everyone has the right product mix and information—and, as a company, that we provide the right support to build our brands.”

Broil King sets itself apart from the com-

tomer-service and marketing efforts have brought it much success, Backs is the consummate businessperson, with a constant eye on the store’s profits. Even through the recession, the store has posted consistent growth over the past eight years—to point of tripling sales.

All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop is known as a one-stop shop for everything hearth and grill related, with products at a broad range of price points. On the grill front, the store has had its best success with Napoleon®, Broil King®, and island grills from Alfresco™.

Backs is always on the hunt for grills that intrigue customers and keep them coming into the store. “If a retailer is not ahead of the curve, its customers will be, particularly in the Internet age. People are resourceful, and they will always find something that interests them, so it only makes sense to carry it in one’s store,” he explains.

Over the past three years, he has seen a dramatic fluctuation in high-end grill sales that has caused him to scrutinize his entire inventory and profit margins.

“Margins have been shrinking, for a variety of reasons, and we needed to do something about it,” he explains.

He decided to join the industry’s United Buyers Group, Highland, Wisconsin, in an effort to improve his margins aggressively on as many products as possible, including grills, hearth products, controls, and acces-

by KIMBERLY RODGERS

petition because each grill in the line, at every price point, is designed and engineered to work as a cooking system. This system includes stainless steel Dual-Tube™ burners, a technology designed to ensure an even flame from front to back, providing uniform heat at the cooking surface; the stainless-steel Flav-R-Wave™, which instantly vaporizes drippings, infusing food with flavor; and Flav-R-Zone™ heat partitions, which provide additional cooking flexibility and heat control.

According to its own marketing research (as well as industry feedback), all Onward Manufacturing brands continually are given high rankings in terms of quality, perception of quality, and user experience. Established over 100 years ago, Onward Manufacturing is still a family-owned business. For over 30 years, the company has focused solely on grill products. Mealing says, “We are grillers at heart, and we focus a lot on that barbecuing experience.”

Mealing adds that it is important for the user to understand the value of the Broil King brand and to appreciate that all its grills are well made and manufactured in the United States—and that ultimately, the consumer benefits by getting a great product.

He says, “All around, in any of our brands, we offer good value and superior performance, and we are very competitive in price.

We want our dealers to tell that story.”

sories. As a United Buyers Group retailer, he has the potential to make an additional 6%–10% margin on top of his current margins.

Many of the products that the store is currently carrying are included as part of group purchases, and he has been able to explore some new products as well. Backs started in the retail co-op business at the beginning of his career and has always been a big believer in the concept.

“The problem in small business right now is the top line, not the bottom line. As retailers, we can cut costs, but if we aren’t making as many sales as we once were, we are never going to come out ahead. The buying group is a way to bring up margin, which is what we need to do in order to survive in this economy,” he explains.

THE FUTURE All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop is content with its reputation as a retailer that genuinely cares about its customers—and about offering products that can improve people’s enjoyment of life. “Life will always toss up challenges, and I’ve come to expect anything,” Backs says.

He adds, “What makes All Seasons Gas Grill & Fireside Shop special is its ability to concentrate on today. Yesterday and tomorrow are the enemy of today, so we make the best of things we are faced with today to keep our business strong.”

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showroom S H O W C A S E

Left: Bold, bright colors are a signature of Backyard Masters, a 32–year-old retailer that knows its customers' tastes inside and out.

Top right: Pools are the roots of Backyard Masters, and they remain the centerpiece of its outdoor-living business today.

Below: Backyard Masters is all about family: from left, Sherrie and Dean Salvani and their sons, Dean Jr. and Derek; not pictured is a third son, Dustin.

a business

with heart

Family-run Backyard Masters has prospered for more than three decades because of its commitment to customer satisfaction. by SHARON SANDERS photography by RONNYMILLS STUDIOS

i

f a business could have a personality, familyowned Backyard Masters in Farmingdale, New York, would be voted most likely to succeed.

Native New Yorkers Sherrie and Dean Salvani started their retail business when they were just 19 years old and newly married—with dreams for the future.

Today, 32 years later, the Salvanis and their three grown sons run a popular three-store pool, spa, and patio chain that has become a favorite of New Yorkers, from the Bronx to the Hamptons. The Salvanis’ natural business sense, passion for service, and refusal to stop building their dream have brought them more success than they could ever have imagined.

In 1974, the Salvanis had a $2,000 nest egg that

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

they wanted to invest in some kind of business. “The way we started in retail was really an accident—a good one, but not something we could ever have planned,” Sherrie Salvani recalls. From the beginning, their friends and family thought they were crazy, which made them want to do it even more. The ambitious couple started selling children’s little plastic wading pools from their home.

“We had no intention of getting into the pool and patio business; it just happened that plastic pools were the first thing we could get our hands on,” Salvani says.

The couple branched out and started attending merchandise shows to pick out fun, new products, including beach chairs and other outdoor items.

Five years later, to the surprise of everyone, the Salvanis opened their first retail store (in the Bronx), selling above-ground pools and accessories. It was not long before business took off for them.

Salvani attributes their success to the fact that she and her husband have great chemistry together. “We bring different things to the table. Dean is the salesperson and I’m the administrator/buyer (and I love design and decorating). We are the perfect team to run a business together,” she says.

FROM POOLS TO FULL SERVICE After the Salvanis opened their first store, the business seemed to take on a life of its own, evolving from

carrying pools into selling hot tubs, outdoor furniture, grills, and (eventually) grill islands and outdoor fireplaces. As the business grew, so did the couple’s passion for outdoor living.

“Sometimes, you don’t know what your passion is until you find it. We found it in our business,” Salvani explains. It wasn’t long before customers wanted help not only in buying products, but in putting their backyards together, so the Salvanis shifted the focus of the business and changed its name to Backyard Masters.

The operation is now a full-service backyard design center that does everything from installing pools, spas, and hardscape to adding the finishing touches with outdoor furniture and custom grill islands. The new concept became such a hit that the company opened two more stores, in Patchogue and in Farmingdale (on Long Island).

The Farmingdale store is Backyard Masters’ flagship location, with an impressive 30,000–square-foot showroom floor filled with everything that one could want for an outdoor space. It was designed to excite customers; from its dramatic black metallic paint and Chinese red windows to its waterfalls with colored water, there is nothing ordinary in sight.

“I like to see people’s faces when they walk into our store for the first time,” Salvani says. She is meticulous about every detail of the showroom.

She says, “New Yorkers have a very edgy style that is different from that of any other part of the country. They will go for a bright jockey red or bold prints without hesitation, so that’s what we carry on our floor.”

One of her favorite dining groups has leopardprint cushions with a gold frame. She recently brought in cast-aluminum furniture with a cinnamon finish that sold out in just a few weeks.

“People who are looking for something they’ve

never seen before will find it in our stores,” she says. Backyard Masters carries products from manufacturers that include Woodard, Tropitone®, Suncoast, Weber®, Cal Flame®, and the top names in pools and spas.

CARVING OUT A NICHE Backyard Masters has been able to pull away from its competition by offering its conceptionto-completion design service, but it is not satisJuly/August 2011 Patio & Hearth Products Report

39

showroom S H O W C A S E The Poly-Wood Adirondack chair

m

ilk jugs, laundry-detergent bottles, and the term high performance are not typically mentioned in the same sentence— unless, of course, you are speaking with entrepreneurs Doug Rassi and

Mark Phillabaum. They founded and own Poly-Wood®, Inc., one of the leading U.S. producers of casual outdoor furniture made from recycled materials.

Since they started the company

Poly-Wood Values Performance and Sustainability

by SHARON SANDERS

21 years ago, they not only have helped reduce waste in our country’s landfills, but also have played a major part in shaping the green-furniture category, with a focus on style and performance.

In 1990, high-school friends Rassi and Phillabaum came up with the idea of using recycled plastic milk jugs to make plastic lumber for outdoor casual furniture. Their first undertaking was a classic Adirondack chair that became more popular than they ever could have imagined.

Chad Yordy, director of sales and marketing, explains, “Poly-Wood

was the first company to bring a style-oriented green Adirondack into the market.” As interest in the company’s unique green products grew, so did its furniture offerings. Today, Poly-Wood has a full lineup of casual furniture that includes everything from relaxing rocking chairs to luxurious deep seating.

The company manufactures all of its furniture in its 200,000–squarefoot plant in Syracuse, Indiana. Its products are constructed from highdensity polyethylene (HDPE) that is derived from postconsumer products, such as milk and detergent bottles, as well from as postindustrial products.

The material is purified to remove contaminants (food residue, paper, and adhesives) and is then compounded into a rigid board stock with a high recycled-plastic content, by weight. Poly-Wood extrudes the purified HDPE into plastic lumber to build its furniture.

The company takes pride in the fact that its extrusion process is modern and efficient, using 3D design, computer numerical control fabrication, and lean manufacturing techniques. Yordy says, “Our furniture is not molded, as some people think; it is assembled just like wood or any other material, which gives it a genuine look that people love.”

PERFORMANCE AND STYLE

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

The green aspect of PolyWood’s furniture is undeniably appealing to consumers, but its performance is what really seals the deal. All of PolyWood’s HDPE products have exceptional resistance to corrosive substances, oil and fuels, insects, fungi, salt spray, and other environmental stresses.

HDPE does not absorb moisture; therefore, it will not rot, splinter, or crack—and it also has superior weather resistance. “In short, people can leave their furniture outside year-round, hose it off in the

spring, and be ready for outdoor living,” Yordy says.

While the company’s flagship Adirondack chair is still a number-one seller, Poly-Wood is continually looking for ways to raise the bar when it comes to the design of its furniture.

“People are attracted to the performance and style of our products, and then they consider it a bonus when they find out it’s made from recycled material,” Yordy says.

A few years ago, the company added a whole new dimension to its product line when it introduced lightweight aluminum as a design accent.

Its sleek Euro collection for 2011 features finely crafted aluminum frames with durable Poly-Wood slats in fun, bright colors. “Contemporary design is hot right now, so this collection is really doing well for us,” Yordy says.

For 2011, the company also has introduced two new chairs that can be paired with its dining tables: a Chippendale chair and the timeless Traditional Garden dining chair, with a contoured seat. The Poly-Wood brand has grown so significantly over the past few years that the company opened a gorgeous showroom on the 17th floor of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Illinois, in June 2011.

NEW HORIZONS As Poly-Wood looks to the future, it is encouraged that green products are surging in popularity, and it plans to take full advantage of that fact.

“We have always been viewed as a leader in green furniture manufacturing, and we plan to continue to be innovators,” Yordy explains.

One of the newest movements within the green industry is cradle-tocradle recycling, founded on the premise of recycling products repeatedly. “An item can be recycled again and again, extending its life indefinitely,” he says.

The company’s plan is to seek more opportunities to partner with individuals, companies, and organizations that share the cradle-to-cradle vision. “This is really the next vision for our company, in addition to continuing to take green furniture to new levels of comfort, style, and performance,” Yordy adds.

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showroom S H O W C A S E Backyard Masters' eclectic showroom vignettes set it apart as a retailer that refuses to be ordinary.

fied in stopping there. In addition to its three retail locations, Backyard Masters has two large warehouses that it uses to store products for its at-once stock program.

“People historically wait until the last minute to buy things, so we have chosen to be the retailer they can go to for lastminute purchases,” Salvani says. She explains that for every hot tub, patio-furniture set, or umbrella on the floor, the company stocks two more in the warehouse. “When you are dealing with a seasonal business like ours, people won’t wait. They will go somewhere else if the item isn’t available,” she says.

Backyard Masters also has an in-store service department that stocks parts for its pools and hot tubs, and there are plans to offer parts for patio furniture and grill islands as well. “We want customers to know that we stock everything they need. It keeps them happy and helps us build relationships,” Salvani says.

As most businesses are, in today’s economy, Backyard Masters is constantly looking for creative ways to get customers to shop in its stores. One tactic that has worked well is running television spots every hour on the weekends. According to Salvani, people specifically mention the commercials when they come to the store.

Backyard Masters has also begun to do more Internet and direct-mail advertising, and it has started hosting private insider events. The events, by invitation only, are held for customers who have made a purchase in the past. The cocktail-party gatherings are held on a weeknight, and customers who make a purchase on the same night receive a special preferred-customer discount.

The store also partners with some of its barbecue vendors, such as Weber, to grill food for customers on the weekends.

Last year, the Salvanis even turned their Farmingdale store into a Christmas-tree shop, selling fully decorated, themed trees to customers for the holidays. The concept was so well received that they are planning to implement some other creative ideas for the off season this year.

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

FAMILY FUTURE Backyard Masters is a family business to its very core. The Salvanis have poured their whole lives into growing the business, and their three sons (Dean Jr., Dustin, and Derek) are very active in daily operations as well. “They were raised in the backroom of the Bronx store, so they have pool in their blood,” Salvani jokes. “I even gave birth to one of my sons on the same day I was working in the store.”

When the boys graduated from high school, the Salvanis encouraged them to go off on their own, but they all decided to come back after college. “I am really glad we have the kids around so we can get their insights into the next generation’s thoughts and spending habits,” Salvani says.

In 2012, the Salvanis will be celebrating their 33rd year in retail, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing. Both Dean and Sherrie say that they like to live life without limits—both personally and in business.

“We would like to duplicate our popular Farmingdale store in another area and take it to the next level,” Salvani says.

“Our dream is to have people from all over New York—and eventually, beyond that—telling their friends that they have Backyard Masters yards.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF GRANDINROAD

as i S E E I T Right: Bella-Dura offers consumers performance, style, and sustainability, bundled into one amazing fabric.

durable designs Bella-Dura’s high-performance, eco-friendly fabrics complement today’s chic outdoor rooms. by SHARON SANDERS

I

t has been a little more than six years since BellaDura™ introduced its beautiful, durable, earthfriendly performance fabrics. A division of Wearbest Sil-Tex Mills, Inc., Bella-Dura jumped into the competitive indoor/outdoor-fabric market with its eyes wide open, knowing that it would have to offer customers something different in order to be taken seriously.

Today, the company (based in Garfield, New Jersey) is enjoying more solid growth than it ever could have predicted, with casual-furniture manufacturers in the United States and other countries showing more interest every year. Patio & Hearth Products Report spent some time with Irwin Gasner, president and CEO of Wearbest, to find out more about BellaDura and to get his take on performance fabrics.

How did Bella-Dura make its way onto the performancefabrics scene?

Gasner: Wearbest has been a force in the indoorfabric industry for over 30 years, and the company was looking for the next mountain to climb. When we came up with the concept for Bella-Dura, in early 2000, performance fabrics were just beginning to make their mark, casual-furniture deep seating was starting to emerge, and the demand for green products was growing. The challenge was how to take those three opportunities and put them together. To us, Bella-Dura was the answer.

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

What has Bella-Dura been up to since its 2005 launch?

Gasner: Our goal was to develop and deliver something different from the product of any other performance-fabric manufacturer. Without a doubt, we have become what we had hoped for— and more. For the first few years, we spent a lot of time marketing Bella-Dura, which laid the foundation for the brand.

Our efforts really began paying off in 2008, when the company won the Earth Minded Award from the American Society of Interior Designers and launched Bella-Dura at the annual Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Then, in 2009, the financial world fell apart, and our whole industry took a big hit. Business started to look up again in 2010, and 2011 has been utterly fantastic. Bella-Dura is steadily taking market share in all of the markets that it serves, including the residential, contract, and hospitality markets.

We wanted to build a brand that is recognized in the marketplace for its multitiered performance and its sustainable attributes—while, at the same time, being known for great design. Our dream is being realized. We have customers doing huge programs and literally putting in 50 to 100 SKUs. We also have a number of casual-furniture manufacturers that are first-time purchasers of Bella-Dura that we are thrilled to have as a part of the family. I know we will have our best Chicago International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market™ this year.

Irwin Gasner, president and CEO of Wearbest

What trends are you seeing in fabrics this season?

Gasner: I think neutrals are always going to be the biggest story, but manufacturers have to excite customers with new colors, fabrics, and weaves as well. I compare it to buying a dress or suit. If you go into a clothing store and see the same old navy suit or beige dress, it’s not going to excite you to buy.

We’re always challenged to do something different.

Every season, we try to top our last—and somehow, our design team always manages to do it.

One interesting thing about the outdoor-furniture market is that it plays it safe, in terms of design, and is usually about two years behind the indoor market in adopting new trends. Bella-Dura isn’t afraid to be a market leader, and we’ll do some crazy things with color.

We recently did pink fabric and showed it to U.S. casual-furniture manufacturers; they didn’t respond.

Circle Reader Service No. 45

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Bella-Dura patterns (from left): Girasol, Classico, Provence, Canopy, Grand Damask, and Block Party; the colors reflect this season’s trends of chic menswear and bright hues.

We took it to Europe, and people went crazy. My bet is that pink for outdoors will be in demand in the United States in the next two years.

Why is the marriage between fabric and frame so important?

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Gasner: It takes a certain level of sophistication to create a beautiful frame, and if you use the right fabric on a frame, it brings the frame to life: It makes it sing.

A consumer gets a warm, fuzzy feeling when he or she walks into a casual-furniture store and sees the right marriage of fabric and frame.

On the other hand, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve walked into furniture showrooms and seen the wrong marriageâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even if it was my own fabricâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; and I was embarrassed. You can put a beautiful fabric on a beautiful frame, but if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the right match, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like being married to the wrong person.

Do you think that all performance fabrics are created equal?

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

Gasner: No, they are notâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not by a long shot. While there are many outdoor fabrics on the market, some fibers will do some things better than others. A perfect example of this is abrasion.

Typically, abrasion is not a big performance factor in outdoor fabrics because people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sit on outdoor furniture for 12 hours a day. When outdoor fabrics are used in a hotel-pool setting, however, abrasion is a huge factor. If there is a need for abrasion performance, the fiber needs to be specifically designed for that application.

Fabric strength is determined by how it rates on the double-rub test, which is a back and forth motion that approximates the wear and tear that comes from some-

one sitting down on (and getting up from) an upholstered seat. Our fabrics have a minimum of 50,000 double rubs, which is way above the standard for outdoor fabrics (around 3,000 double rubs).

When we created Bella-Dura, abrasion was one of the performance attributes that we built into it because we wanted to cross over into many markets. It is attributes such as this that make every fabric unique.

Will fabric play a big role in the future of the casual-furniture industry?

Gasner: Absolutely: I think casual furniture and performance fabrics have become inseparable. You walk out to someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backyard, pool area, or extended living area, and the first things you notice are beautiful fabrics. If you are shopping in a retail showroom, fabrics are the first things that draw you to a piece of furniture.

They add warmth and make a space plush, rich, and inviting. I am certain we are going to see continued innovation in fabric that will help keep casual furniture fresh and interesting to consumers for many years to come.

What are you looking forward to over the next few years?

Gasner: I am looking forward to telling more people the Bella-Dura story: its green story, its sustainable story, and its performance story. On top of that, BellaDura is made in the United States. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fourth-generation, privately held company thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s keeping jobs in the United States, which is a tremendous source of pride. We are doing everything we can to get the word out to designers and consumers so they can see what a special fabric Bella-Dura is.

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Top: The Coco Isle formal-dining collection is shown in the rattan pecan finish with sailcloth spice fabric.

Bottom: Pride Family Brands’ Regent sling dining collection features an oval dining table with the Madera cast-aluminum top.

Here, it is shown in the pecan finish with Calvin spice fabric.

onward and upward

Family-owned Pride Family Brands has

made a name for itself by being flexible and innovative.

by CHERYL DANGEL CULLEN

I

n 1977, Bernie Lowsky founded Pride Family Brands as a manufacturer and retailer of PVC-pipe outdoor furniture in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Business boomed, and his sons, Jamie and Steve, joined the business.

Shortly thereafter, after some introspection, they decided to reinvent the company. It would not be the last time.

It was 1982, and the company had 14 stores. “We were a like a little Ethan Allen, with five stores in California and nine in Florida,” Steve Lowsky recalls; he has worked at the family-owned business since he was in middle school. He adds, “Our factory produced for our own stores. Then, we got into the wholesale business in the early 1980s, and it

48

dawned on us: Retail is very difficult— and while wholesale is difficult, too, it is easier to sell on a nationwide level.”

At that point, the Lowskys decided to exit the retail side of the business and focus on the manufacturing, sales, and distribution of the products. Over the next decade, the business prospered and grew. By the late 1980s, however, demand for the product category had decreased, and the company reinvented itself once again. The decision was made to go into value-priced extruded- and cast-aluminum outdoor furniture.

“We were selling tubular plastic, and we wanted to be in the aluminum business. In late 1980s, we made the move to go into aluminum—and since our plastic

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

offering was already selling at Home Depot, Walmart, Target, and other big boxes, it made sense to produce aluminum for those same customers,” Lowsky says.

This process was accelerated by the creation of a plant and foundry in Costa Rica. The product line was developed, and production began. The product line was well received by retailers throughout the United States; the business grew.

In the early 1990s, two key decisions concerning the company’s future direction were made. “The market had become saturated with me-too products, and there was very little differentiation of the products being made to the retailers and consumers,” Lowsky explains, citing the glut of promotional products (priced at less than $1,000) imported from China that took over floor space at Kmart, Walmart, Lowe’s, and similar stores.

The first decision was to retool the Costa Rican factory to make high-end products, which took Pride Family Brands back to its roots as a specialty shop. Then, in a second decision, the company went to China and created a value line for the mass retailers that were already among its customers.

“Pride Family Brands elected to change the entire product offering and began making unique, custom-made,

high-end products constructed of extruded and cast aluminum,” Lowsky says. “This was a very bold change, and it took a great deal of foresight and vision to make this move. The reaction from both the retailers and consumers was overwhelming, and this enthusiasm continues today.”

The high-end brand that marked the big change is Pride Family Brands’ Castelle brand, which is the company’s core brand for high-end products today.

Manufactured in Costa Rica, Castelle is marketed and sold by about 300 specialty patio shops throughout the United States.

The Prestige brand, also made in Costa Rica, is retailed through specific specialty patio retail shops in the United States. Specific is the operative word: Similar to Castelle, Prestige is a brand that is used often in comparative situations, so that Pride Family Brands can offer exclusive collections to its retailers.

“We have people working here to make sure dealers have exclusive rights to the products they pick in their trading areas. That creates loyalty. Often, a retailer will spend hours with clients, choosing fabrics and coming up with all the specifications that go into a custommade piece of a furniture. We structure our products in such a way that the client can’t go down the street and get

Our nam e says it all.

Erwin Style. Erwin Service. Erwin Selection.

Chicago International Casual Furniture Market • September 12-15, 2011 • Booths 8-1111 & 8-1114

Erwin and Sons BRINGING PARADISE HOME

www.erwinandsons.com Bahama Winds™ • Island Collection™ • Lightweights™ Stone Tops • Leisureluxe™ Custom Cushions • Wonderwood™ Circle Reader Service No. 49

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Left: The Madrid deep seating collection includes a large rectangular coffee table and a square side table with the Artisan cast-aluminum top.

the same from someone else, based on price,” Lowsky says.

The Expressions brand is made in Costa Rica and is distributed to department and furniture stores. The SummerWinds brand is the lower-end line produced in Asia; it is sold to about 60 patio shops and to bigbox retailers such as Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and pharmacy chains.

Does Lowsky wish that the products were made in the United States? He says, “Sure: I’d love to do it in the United States, but each piece requires so much welding, custom paint finishes, and so forth that the retail price would be astronomical.” He notes that all raw materials for products come from the United States.

It is design that sets Pride Family Brands apart from the competition, Lowsky says. “Attention to detail: These three words sum up what our business is about. We use premium materials, made in the United States, throughout the manufacturing process, to ensure a long-lasting, quality product.”

He continues, “Our welds are nearly invisible, and the frames are hand prepared to provide a superior surface for finishing. Our finishes are unique and very

high end. We produce our own cushioning internally, to conform to each frame in a unique way. Throughout the process, it is the attention to detail by all of our personnel that ensures that the consumer receives a high-quality, long-lasting set of furniture.”

Product development is ongoing.

“Each season, four or five new collections are designed, cataloged, and made ready for sale,” Lowsky says. Five new collections for the 2012 season were introduced at the ICFA Preview Show™ in Chicago, Illinois, in July 2011.

Each collection features more than 20 individual items, designed to meet almost any need. Collections were added in Pride Family Brands’ cast, wrought, transitional, and tropical categories. Also new are several new stand-alone items that Lowsky promises will be popular.

“We are a very vertically integrated company, so we can create a lot of new collections every year. Dealers know Pride Family Brands is an exciting place that will have a lot of new trends—and because we offer exclusivity, most dealers want to

Below: The Veranda deep seating collection is part of the Castelle brand.

meet with us at a show before their competitors get there, so they can have pieces exclusive to their stores before their local competition does,” Lowsky says.

Products are promoted through national trade advertising and some regional advertising. “We have a good website (pridefamilybrands.com) that is easy to view and navigate. The number of hits on our site tells us that consumers are using this vehicle, more and more, as they research their purchases,” Lowsky says.

He adds, “Facebook is yet another way that we get our message out; we post conversations and pictures, and we get feedback, so I think it is very much a growing trend in our industry. Imagine: free feedback—what you would normally pay for, you get for free.”

In the near term, look for Pride Family Brands to continue moving “onward and upward,” Lowsky says. “We’ve been blessed with a lot of years of hard work, and now we’re a bigger family business that is debt-free, but we’re not a big corporation. Most of our customers are family businesses, and we treat them all as they would want to be treated. We want to make sure business is good for everyone, and our egos don’t go past where they should.”

He says, “We will continue to bring great products to our customers and to develop the products that are in demand.

We are a lean company and can adapt to any market changes fairly quickly.”

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Circle Reader Service No. 50

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

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product I N N O VAT I O N

a virtual company Stove manufacturer Morsø upgrades its website to help increase sales for dealers. by CHERYL DANGEL CULLEN

m

Above: Craig Shankster Top and page 53: The Morsø 5660 standard zero-clearance fireplace enclosure

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

orsø, a manufacturer of energyefficient wood stoves, is taking the innovation and flexibility of the Internet one step further and using it to make its own version of virtual in-home sales calls. Craig Shankster, president of Morsø USA (Portland, Tennessee), says, “We’re looking at ways we can generate an order for the dealer without the consumer necessarily having to drive excessive amounts of distance to visit a dealer.”

He explains, “Geography, in the United States, is a significant factor—and often, we’ll have great gaps of land between dealers; we have to close those gaps. We have a theory that when gas prices go higher, consumers will be less likely to travel 100 miles or so to find a Morsø dealer.”

Shankster continues, “If we pump more money into our website and give consumers more information, videos, and so forth, we can encourage them to order (on behalf of the dealer) using our website.” To heighten the effect of the virtual inhome sales call and enable consumers to make their purchases in the comfort of their own homes or

offices, Morsø is investing in overhauling its website—in an effort to generate orders for dealers.

“We’re setting up smaller websites, on behalf of the dealer, that will link to ours. There are a lot of dealers out there who do not invest a lot of money in website marketing (or just marketing in general), yet there is a whole generation out there that relies on the Internet. We have to help dealers gain visibility,” Shankster says.

He adds, “It is a big endeavor,” noting that there is “a lot of clever technology out there that you can tap into; we can decide where the consumer is coming from and program the website to go to a certain place.”

To Shankster’s knowledge, no manufacturer in the wood-stove industry is taking orders online— and that’s not Morsø’s intent, either. “We want to generate a hot lead or a virtual order. We’re not taking money; however, we would certainly want to be in the position to create a wish list for the consumer and pass it to the dealer, in the hope that the dealer will follow through,” Shankster says.

Morsø is continuing to energize its social networking via Facebook and Twitter and is fine-tuning its website for Google, Yahoo, and Bing search-

es. Shankster says, “We’re putting a lot of money into search-engine optimization, right now, to help make sure we’re coming out at the top of the rankings.

We’re also redesigning our website to make it more user friendly.”

The reinvigorated Morsø website will be launched in August, and Shankster expects every feature to be operational by then. The relaunch was communicated to dealers over the summer, and many of them were invited to Morsø’s Portland facility for a preview unveiling.

“Some dealers spend a lot of money on telephone-directory advertising. I don’t even take mine out of its bag,” Shankster notes. “There are dealers out there who have had a grueling three-year period and are reluctant to pump more money in their marketing efforts, so we will do what we can. We’re limited as well, so we have to make sure our investment is the most efficient we can make.”

To reward key dealers who have weathered the storm, Morsø orchestrated a sales promotion, last year, to give them a trip to Denmark in late August 2011; 37 dealers made the grade. “They showed significant growth over the previous year, boosting sales 44% (combined),” he says.

The winning dealers will take a factory tour, attend the Morsø summer party, and enjoy sightseeing in Copenhagen.

“We’ve done this before—typically, every two years or so—and it has been very successful,” Shankster says.

Shankster is focusing on marketing while he is forced to cool his heels, awaiting new EPA regulations before introducing new products to the United States. “We don’t know where the new EPA regulations are going to fall, and now they’ve been pushed back, so we’re

cautious,” he says.

He explains, “We know where we are in terms of product lines, but we’re reluctant to bring in new products from Europe until the new regulations are out there. We want to be absolutely bulletproof before we jump. Caution is still very much in the wind, but we’re sticking our neck out on one product for the coming year, which is a new insert.”

That new insert is being called the S80-90 until it gets an official name.

Shankster describes it as having a very wide mouth and as being “flush, cleanfaced, modern—almost the iPhone of wood-burning inserts. Because of the new EPA standards coming through, we can’t directly lift the European version. We’ve put an extra 30% of development cost into redesigning the firebox to make a U.S. version.” If all goes according to plan, the S80-90 will be approved and launched in late 2011.

The balance of the product line remains intact, with no real changes, according to Shankster, who notes that the Morsø 5660 contemporary fireplace insert continues to do very well.

“We’ve concentrated a considerable amount on our contemporary line.

Contemporary is a word bounced

around a lot, and some dealers wonder if it has a place,” Shankster says, adding that the Morsø brand has evolved over the past four years.

He says, “We’ve seen a style shift.

Sales of the classic style of wood stoves have moved from 87% down to 50%.

For us, the contemporary, modern, or European stove—or whatever you want to call it—has taken over now. We’ve concentrated our marketing around that. We can see, in the national picture, there is a trend toward contemporary design, so our plans will be to do more of the same.”

Don’t expect Morsø to drop its classic lines any time soon, though.

Shankster says, “We’ll expand on classic designs regionally, such as in the New England area. We won’t give up on classic designs, but we will expand on the contemporary.”

For the economic near term, Shankster describes Morsø as “reasonably comfortable. We’re watching the pennies and hoping our investments are well placed. We’re also concentrating on direct relationships with our accounts and making sure they are well serviced.” To summarize, Shankster adds, “Caution is still there.”

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Right: NorthCape International values its connection to its customers at every level.

Pictured is the Berkshire collection.

Below, right: Tom Murray, owner, NorthCape International

a strong bond

by SHARON SANDERS

NorthCape International’s growth can be attributed to its close relationships with retailers.

n

orthCape International, Inc., has been manufacturing fine casual furniture for more than 10 years and has experienced the highs and lows of the industry firsthand. Owner Tom Murray has been challenged, at every turn, to make the right decisions to keep his company in the game and connected to retailers.

“One thing I’ve learned through tough times is that manufacturers and retailers need each other,” Murray says. “We are in business together, and each of us needs to be responsible for our part of the equation if we are going to be around 20 years from now.”

As a casual-furniture manufacturer, NorthCape International (based in Chicago, Illinois) is always looking for ways to cut costs and increase the value of its products. Over the past year, the company has made some strategic moves that will allow it to serve its dealers and their customers better. One of the most significant was to take a look at its offshore manufacturing, from a cost-containment standpoint.

“For manufacturing in general, there is a really good opportunity in the United States right now,” Murray says. The company determined that it was not necessary to manufacture everything oversees, yet it wasn’t necessary to bring all of its manufacturing back to the United States, either. It reacted based on where its raw materials are found (in many cases, in the United States), as well as responding to accelerating labor- and freight-cost pressures abroad.

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NorthCape International decided to bring back the elements that add value, such as cushioning and fabrics for upholstery. “Furniture is rarely just the frame, especially in deep seating, so the cushions and fabrics are a very important part of our products’ overall appeal,” Murray says.

The company now has two cushion factories up and running (in Illinois and California), where all of its finishing work is done. These domestic factories make it possible for NorthCape International to offer its customers more flexibility when it comes to delivery times and customization of its furniture.

Both of the finishing operations have doubled in capacity over the past year, and they are still having a tough time keeping up with production. Murray says, “We continue to expand our relationships overseas as a reaction to our overall company growth, but the fastest-growing part of our business, bar none, is the part that we do here.”

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING If there is one area in which NorthCape International has improved dramatically over the past year, it is how it visually presents itself and its products. “We are in a fashion-oriented industry, and the way our products are presented in our marketing and advertising materials is extremely important,” Murray says.

NorthCape International has invested a significant

amount of money and time in product photography that will be used in its advertising and marketing materials and on its website. According to Murray, the new visuals will benefit everyone—from the sales representative who is now able to give a sales presentation more impact to the retailer who needs professional images for television or print advertising.

The company will also be introducing a new catalog this year. “We can line ourselves up against any manufacturer, and our products will look just as good, if not nicer. I just wish we had done it sooner,” Murray says.

For NorthCape International (or any manufac-

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turer), a strong relationship with dealers can be of more value than anything else. Murray is admittedly very candid and open with his dealers, and that has paid off in a big way.

“A customer who does business with us for only one year is not what we are about; the value of our relationship is for the long term. Dealers know they can come to me for any-

thing because I want them to be a success,” he says.

He adds that he is working more closely with dealers than ever before, on everything from creating new products to early-buying programs. When it comes to early buying, NorthCape International understands that many of its creditworthy customers don’t have the access to credit that

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they once did, so the company has made a point of being both generous and aggressive in its terms.

“In my opinion, early buys are critical to the success of both the retailer and the manufacturer,” Murray says. With labor becoming a bigger issue in China, manufacturers need work early to secure labor in the factories.

The early buy is also crucial when manufacturers are discussing programs with factories, so it’s important to operations and banking.

“We know that retailers don’t have the money to pay until their cash flow starts, so we are basically giving them a discount as a reward for planning ahead and having a good credit history,” he says. He adds that he is very careful not to overload customers with more products than they can realistically sell (a practice that gave some companies’ early-buying programs a bad reputation in the past).

Murray says, “It’s not uncommon for me to turn down an order that I think is too large and start at a lower volume. My goal is never to sell tons of product; it is to put my dealers in a position to succeed.”

CANDID RELATIONSHIPS In discussing the company’s relationships with dealers, Murray is quick to mention the words trust and honesty. “With the amount of money we extend in terms, I’m trusting that customers are going to do the right thing. When they give us significant business, they are trusting we are going to deliver—to the point where they can make money,” he says.

Murray is always eager to share news and offer dealers his insights into what he’s seeing and hearing in the industry. “If we don’t discuss what issues could potentially affect our business, it could be bad for both of us,” he explains. He also regularly talks with dealers about the products that the company is developing: what worked, what didn’t, and what will be tried next.

He says, “If there are common-sense things we can do to help our dealers and the company, we will do them. One needs to be following the economic trends constantly so as not to miss out on opportunities that may arise.

There is more to take advantage of when the economy is bad, in the form of acquisitions and better advertising rates—and there is even a larger pool of qualified people, if you are hiring employees.”

Lately, Murray has noticed a lot more optimism from NorthCape International’s customers; just six months ago, many of them were concerned about whether they were going to be able to pay the mortgages on their buildings. “While there are many dealers who have gone away, there are still those who are in it for the long haul,” he says.

“Business is getting better, but it will be different. The manufacturers and retailers who adjust will be fine.”

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product

FOCUS

fabric f lair Fabulous fabric choices help

cost-conscious consumers spruce up their backyards.

by CHERISE FORNO

t

his season’s outdoor fabrics indicate how far the industry has gone in developing collections that are durable, comfortable, green, and—above all—stylish. Consumers can select from a diverse range of fabrics that not only can brighten their outdoor spaces, but also can create seamless transitions from inside the home to exterior areas, such as patios, decks, and outdoor rooms.

Fabrics clearly play a pivotal role in transforming an outdoor room into an extension of the rest of the home. Glen Raven/Sunbrella® (Glen Raven, North Carolina); Phifer (Tuscaloosa, Alabama); Outdura (Hudson, North Carolina); and Bella-Dura™ (Garfield, New Jersey) offer exciting new outdoorfabric options that customers will find enticing.

SUNBRELLA Glen Raven’s Sunbrella design team develops several fabric collections each year, as well as beautiful exclusive fabrics for furniture manufacturers. Gina Wicker, design and creative director of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, says, “One of our newest offerings is the Heritage collection, which incorporates recycled Sunbrella content. We believe consumers will be attracted to these fabrics— first, because of the beautiful surface interest and color palette, and second, by the green story.” The yarns used in this new fabric collection were first seen in the Sunbrella Renaissance rug collection, which continues to be popular.

Sunbrella’s research/development team is continually improving the performance of its fabrics, and for many years, Sunbrella fabrics have been recognized by the Skin Cancer Foundation as offering effective protection from burning UV rays. “When used in conjunction with sunscreen, 58

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

umbrellas and awnings made with Sunbrella fabrics offer the best way for consumers to enjoy being outside, while protecting themselves from the sun,” Wicker says.

According to Wicker, while neutrals always represent the largest sales volume for Sunbrella, consumers are gravitating toward fun colors (such as its new hot pink, along with sunny yellow and bright green). She adds that navy is now considered a neutral against which to showcase bright colors such as red, pink, yellow, and other vibrant hues.

“We are seeing geometrics and playful stripes, and in the case where traditional patterns such as frames or medallions are used, the color palettes are more modern and

Above: Sunbrella’s outdoor-dining fabric, with cushions in canvas navy and decorative pillows in Steeplechase Malibu Left: Bella-Dura Grandin Road seat cushions

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product F O C U S updated. Textures continue to be very important, featuring slub or bouclé yarns, as well as chenilles and velvets,” Wicker says.

PHIFER

Phifertex® Slingable outdoorfurniture fabrics contain Microban® antimicrobial product protection to keep fabrics cleaner between cleanings.

The material that Phifer uses for its outdoor fabric is always improving and becoming more environmentally friendly (and user friendly). Sling and cushioned furniture uses recyclable material and antimicrobial technology. Phifer uses fabrics infused with Microban® to provide antimicrobial product protection.

Microban protection helps prevent the

growth of stain- and odor-causing bacteria, mold, and mildew. This provides lasting protection to keep fabrics clean and fresh longer, compared with fabrics lacking this protection.

Two surfaces (one with and one without Microban protection) were tested in a lab study, according to Hugo Benitez, Phifer’s market manager. Both were

exposed to bacteria and photographed over a 24-hour period.

Microban antimicrobial technology was shown to work immediately on the protected surface, while on the unprotected fabric, bacteria grew and multiplied. “It’s exciting to have this type of antimicrobial protection,” Benitez says. “We have decided to add this to our whole line.”

In order to be in the forefront of new developments, Phifer strives to be in the vanguard where technological advances, customer needs, and industry trends are concerned. Phifer has its own department devoted to staying on top of trends and searching for new ways to work with color and design. The department’s employees work two years in advance to discover new color trends for future seasons. “We are continually working on new designs and unique weaves to try to differentiate ourselves from the market,” Benitez says.

Benitez explains that this level of innovation involves working with the same yarns to create different looks and effects.

This commitment to fresh designs has given Phifer the ability to showcase more

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than 400 fabrics this year, in addition to presenting sling materials. Benitez notes that the colors on the hot list for this season are gray and yellow (with variations on this palette). “The combination of the two has had a good reception this season and we feel it is only going to be better in the coming season,” he says.

OUTDURA Natalie Scott, vice president of sales and marketing for Outdura, agrees that gray is a popular color choice this season.

“Gray continues to be a strong color,”

Scott says. “We’ve had great success in coupling gray with green, gray with yellow, and gray with pottery.”

With solid sales, colors such as coffee and natural white have taken the lead over more traditional outdoor colors, such as forest green. Another current fabric trend is a great emphasis on linen-like looks.

Above: French Quarters uses Outdura's new bouclé yarn and captures a true French-linen look.

Page 60, top right: A hip and slightly edgy grouping, Outdura’s High Definition creates a modern feeling and features the trendy gray.

“Outdura has done a great job of emulating this look using two different proprietary novelty yarns, both made of 100% solution-dyed acrylic. One yarn is bouclé and the other is a special twist that joins two colors, creating a beautiful mélange look. Both yarns work well in our higher-end dobby fabrics, which seem to sell well on larger pieces of furniture,” Scott says.

To capitalize on the latest consumer trends, Outdura recently released five collections shown in Chicago, Illinois, during the ICFA Preview Show™ in July and the Chicago International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market™ in September. These collections are called Well Traveled, High Definition, Cottage Charm, Punch Lines, and French Laundry. “Our placement numbers on the new introductions are quite strong, and we are pleased with what our customers have selected to take to retail,” Scott says.

In addition to expanding its fabric designs, Outdura consistently seeks improvement in the quality of its fabric and the use of more recycled fabrics in its production. “We are constantly focused on improving our processes, whether through manufacturing, finish-

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ing, spinning, or fiber production,” Scott says.

A recent development for Outdura is certification for Oeko-Tex® Standard 100. According to Scott, all Outdurabranded fabrics were tested by an independent lab for harmful substances at every stage in the production process.

“Oeko-Tex certification is highly recognized and valued on an international level—and once again, it reinforces our message to the industry that we are focused on producing the best in quality fabrics,” Scott says.

BELLA-DURA Irwin Gasner, president and CEO of Bella-Dura, stresses that casual furniture and performance fabrics have become inseparable. “Beautiful fabrics are the first thing you notice when you walk into someone’s backyard, pool area, or extended living area,” Gasner says. “If you use the right fabric on a frame, it brings the frame to life.”

Gasner expects neutrals to continue to be popular with consumers, but he adds that manufacturers need to entice customers with new colors, fabrics, and weaves. Bella-Dura currently offers an outdoor fabric in pink. Although U.S. con-

sumers are cautious in introducing pink into their backyards, Gasner expects that this won’t be the case in a couple of years.

Customers are drawn to Bella-Dura because of its durability. It received the American Society of Interior Designers’ Earth Minded Award in recognition of these performance attributes: It withstood 1,500 hours of UV testing in Arizona and Florida, as well as 50,000 double rubs; it is bleach cleanable, antimicrobial, antifungal, and stain resistant; and it is silver certified as sustainable by the McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry Cradle to Cradle program.

LOOKING AHEAD Despite the sluggish economy, fabric manufacturers are optimistic about the future. “The industry is revitalized, and we are forecasting continued growth,” Benitez says. Scott adds that both commercial and residential markets are recovering nicely and doing well.

Things are looking up, Wicker agrees.

“Consumers are starting to spend again, yet insisting on value and performance in every purchase,” she says. “Materials must be not only beautiful and comfortable, but also long lasting and trustworthy in delivering on performance promises.”

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PRODUCT

Santa Cruz Elegance and simplicity come together in the Santa Cruz collection from Agio®.

Intricate new chair-back designs add a delicate touch to the cast-aluminum dining group. Smoked-glass tabletops complement weather-resistant cushions, while coordinating swivel rockers and accent tables give your customers more entertaining options outdoors. Contact: www.agio-usa.com.

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New 303 Speed Detailer The new 303 Speed Detailer by 303 Products not only cleans, but leaves a brilliant, dust-free shine as it protects using a powerful SPF 40 sunscreen for paint, plastic, metal, glass, Plexiglas™, and fiberglass. Contact: (800) 223-4303 or www.303products.com.

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Wildlife by Capel Safari style: modern, bold, and sleek, Wildlife adds a contemporary vibe to any space, indoors or out. Wildlife is composed of an olefin–polyester blend and is machine woven in Belgium. The collection is available in two patterns: Bengal and zebra. A rug measuring 5 feet 3 inches by 7 feet 6 inches may retail for $159. Bengal is shown. Contact: (800) 382-6574 or www.capelrugs.com.

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Bella-Dura Bella-Dura™ fabrics combine style, sustainability, and performance and are right for any indoor or outdoor application. Bella-Dura™ fabrics are inherently and permanently stain resistant, antimicrobial, antifungal, and bleach cleanable, with abrasion resistance exceeding 50,000 double rubs and with 1,500 hours of lightfastness. Shown here are three patterns: a large-scale, up-the-roll stripe, Cabana; a skin, Sabu; and a textural stripe, Runway. Contact: (800) 544-0478 or www.bella-dura.com.

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VioFlame Patio Table Black & Stone now offers VioFlame patio tables, which use the company’s new round and square patio burners in portable, conversation-size tables. There is no propane tank or fixed gas line. The tables are completely portable, and the bio-ethanol fuel burns so cleanly that it may be brought indoors. These burners can be decorated with fireglass and feature a holder for the burner that doubles as an ice bucket, in the center of the table, when beverages take priority over the fire. The long-lasting yellow flames create a splendid focal point anywhere in your outdoor space. Contact: (800) 605-2515 or www.blackandstone.

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Beachcomber Hot Tubs Beachcomber Hot Tubs builds the same quality into every model, from its highest-priced SLB 75 through its lowest-priced 321 model. The 321 offers a solidly constructed, high-quality hot tub with a plug-and-play 110-volt design for customer convenience. Buyers can rest assured that they get the same guarantee and quality with every hot tub that Beachcomber builds. Contact: (800) 663-6557 or www.beachcomberhottubs.com.

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Double-wall Stovepipe Selkirk announces a double-wall stovepipe with professional features, offered exclusively to the hearth market.

Model DCC double-wall stovepipe is UL/cUL listed as a connector pipe between a wood stove and chimney. The smooth lines of the black outer wall allow for slip connectors and easy installation. Selkirk received favorable feedback on this product line at HPBExpo in Reno, Nevada. Since that time, Selkirk has gone back and listed DCC for 6-inch clearance on all diameters and in all installation configurations—giving DCC the closest clearance of all stovepipes on the market. Selkirk has also gained the cUL S-641 listing for sales of DCC in Canada. DCC double-wall stovepipe is now in stock at the company’s Turners Falls, Massachusetts, and Prescott, Ontario, distribution centers, so place orders now for combined shipment with your existing orders for chimney and venting products. Contact: (800) 443-6341 (United States), (888) SELKIRK/735-5475 (Canada), or www.selkirkcorp.com.

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Patio Burners by Black & Stone Round and square patio burners by Black & Stone can be installed in any noncombustible surface and decorated with fireglass. Put beautiful flames anywhere on your patio without an unsightly propane tank or fixed natural-gas line. These burners feature beautiful yellow flames that last for four hours, and they use clean-burning bio-ethanol, a green product. The burner sits in a stainless-steel container that is also ideal for use as an ice bucket. Black & Stone provides you with the best way to bring fire to your outdoor room. Contact: (800) 605-2515 or www.blackandstone.

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Outdoor Kitchens For those who demand a full, working kitchen under the sun, Challenger has a variety of outdoor-kitchen options built to last a lifetime. They are sturdy and versatile enough for self-made chefs of all levels, and they are on wheels, to go anywhere. Quality, durability, and versatility: That’s Challenger. Contact: www.challengercabinets.com.

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Tungsten SmartHeat by Bromic Heating

The Tungsten Smart-Heat™ gas range, manufactured by Bromic Heating, offers unmatched features in the commercial outdoor-heating market. The Tungsten Smart-Heat gas range offers wind and water resistance, electronic ignition, easy-pivot directional heat, and options for wall and ceiling mounting. The Tungsten Smart-Heat gas range is truly a smart heating solution; it is available in 300- and 500-burner models, with both available for propane or natural gas. Contact: www.bromicheating.com.

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Supremo

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE.

The Supremo telescopic patio umbrella opens effortlessly, with a simple easy-lift handle for comfortable opening and closing.

The simple lift opens and closes based on balance, with no strings, pulleys, or cranks.

The 2-inch aluminum mast is channeled to offer added strength, and it allows the exterior lift mechanism to move effortlessly to an opened position. Contact: (877) 530-8873 or www.michaelcaravita.com.

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KINGSLEY˜ BATE

™

ELEGANT OUTDOOR FURNITURE

Casual Furniture & Accessories Showroom: #17-107 7200 Gateway Court, Manassas, Virginia 20109 USA t 703.361.7000 f 703.361.7001 www.kingsleybate.com KB1159

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PRODUCT

The Elegance Series: El Paseo California Outdoor Concepts unveils yet another breathtaking series of firepit tables, the Elegance series. Californians worship their climate and are devoted to the outdoors. At every opportunity, they can be found strolling along the boulevards of Beverly Hills and Palm Desert, stopping to relax and converse over drinks alfresco. Now, the allure of these iconic places can be enjoyed at home with the Elegance series. El Paseo is reminiscent of the organic shapes of the Midcentury Modern vibe prevalent in Palm Desert. Elevate the pedigree of your backyard with this uniquely shaped firepit table by California Outdoor Concepts.

Contact: www.californiaoutdoorconcepts.com.

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Outdoor Escape: Fresh Citrus Offering picturesque renditions of favorite summer pastimes, the Outdoor Escape collection has a novelty appeal that is perfect for complementing themed outdoor-living decor. Couristan’s Fresh Citrus design showcases an oversized pattern of lemon wedges and orange slices that adds a refreshing sense of whimsy to any relaxed oasis. Featuring a unique handhooked construction, each design in the Outdoor Escape collection has a textured loop pile that adds dimension to the motifs. With patterns such as beach landscapes, lighthouses, and sea shells, these outdoor–indoor area rugs create a soothing atmosphere reminiscent of treasured vacation spots and outdoor hobbies.

Welcoming the delights of bare feet, they are surprisingly sturdy and are designed to withstand the rigors of outdoor elements. Made with 100% fiber-enhanced Courtron™ polypropylene, these fun floor fashions are mold and mildew resistant and can be used in a multitude of spaces, like covered outdoor patios, sunrooms, and kitchens. Contact: (201) 585-8500 or www.couristan.com.

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303 Products Offers Free-sample Program 303 Products, Inc., Palo Cedro, California, will be launching a free-sample program for retailers in the United States and Canada this summer. Retailers participating in the program will receive a display containing free consumer samples of 303 Patio Furniture Protectant™. An informational color pamphlet will be attached to each sample, and each display will contain 50 samples. A toll-free number on the back of the display will prompt the retailer to call when sample supplies are getting low. 303 Products will then ship a replacement display to the retailer. 303 Products will pay for all the costs of the program. Contact: (800) 223-4303 or www.303products.com.

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St. Tropez Sushi Table South Sea Rattan’s St. Tropez sushi table combines style and function in one great product. The St. Tropez sushi table combines a base of new wide-weave synthetic wicker in a chocolate finish with a round glass top. Tucked underneath are four castered ottomans (which open for storage) in your choice of fabric. Style and function: South Sea Rattan; see the collection at Chicago International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market™ suite #1785. Contact: www.southsearattan.com.

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Shade, Safety, and Fun, All in One ZipJack Custom Umbrellas introduces a new line of patio umbrellas designed to provide colorful, shaded play spaces for youngsters. KidBrellas are a great way to protect kids from the sun. KidBrellas easily convert from table umbrella to play space and feature bright, bold silkscreened animal illustrations with extended side panels that provide extra coverage. Contact: (914) 592-2000, sales@zipjack.com, or www.zipjack.com.

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Napoli Napoli is Ebel’s new aluminum collection—with the company’s thickest cushion ever, at 10 inches. Napoli is featured in a new frame color, driftwood, and is available in seating and dining pieces. Contact: www.ebelinc.com.

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Beachcomber Hot Tubs Beachcomber Hot Tubs has unveiled a new model for 2011 called the SLB 75. This high-end hot tub is perfect for affluent buyers who are downsizing their homes and looking for luxury products to relieve stress, improve health, and enhance relationships. The SLB 75 is equipped with everything that a buyer wants today, with an impressive listing of features and options. A new brochure featuring the SLB 75 is now available from Beachcomber. Contact: (800) 663-6557 or www.beachcomberhottubs.com.

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Bella-Dura PRODUCT

Bella-Dura®, which received the ASID’s Earth Minded Award, is the standard by which all performance fabrics are judged because of the following performance attributes: It withstood 1,500 hours of UV testing in Arizona and Florida, as well as 50,000 double rubs; it is bleach cleanable, antimicrobial, antifungal, and stain resistant; and it is silver certified as sustainable by the McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry Cradle to Cradle program. Bella-Dura’s award-winning designs are manufactured in a family-owned, fourth-generation mill in Garfield, New Jersey. Contact: (800) 544-0478 or www.bella-dura.com.

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Willowbrook Firepit Homeowners continue to look for the warmth and glow of fire for their outdoor rooms. Agio’s Willowbrook firepit chat group features—at its center—a portable, easy-to-use propane firepit. The octagonal tile top has ample room for entertaining, and long-lasting aluminum C-spring seating is complemented by comfortable cushions covered with fade- and mildew-resistant all-weather fabric.

Contact: www.agio-usa.com.

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AERO Market Umbrella The ZipJack AERO market umbrella changed the look of the classic market umbrella forever. Its patented canopy design gives the umbrella distinctive styling, while crosswinds and updrafts pass right through the canopy’s venting system. Easy maintenance enhances its attractiveness. The ZipJack AERO market umbrella can help every specialty patio retailer stand out above the crowd. Contact: (914) 592-2000, www.zipjackumbrellas.com, or sales@zipjack.com.

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PRODUCT

St. Tropez Sectional The St. Tropez sectional by South Sea Rattan combines a wide synthetic weave in a chocolate finish over a powder-coated aluminum frame.

The St. Tropez sectional is part of the largest and most comprehensive collection produced by South Sea Rattan. The St. Tropez collection includes seating, dining, and motion pieces; curved love seats; and sushi tables.

Visit South Sea Rattan in its Chicago, Illinois, showroom (Merchandise Mart #1785) or view the company’s website. Contact: www.southsearattan.com.

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Versatile Morsø 3610 Wood Stove Radiates Warmth The largest wood stove in the Morsø collection, the 3610 wood stove was developed specifically for the North American market. With built-in versatility and an optimal design, this radiant classic with large viewing windows is ideal for areas of up to 2,400 square feet that require 60,000 Btu. The Morsø 3610, with grand double doors, allows for maximum flexibility because wood logs of up to 24 inches can be loaded into the stove from the front doors or through the easy-access side door. A specifically designed air channel helps burn the fuel as completely and efficiently as possible. Contact: (866) 883-9619 or www.morsona.com.

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Creative Concepts Capel’s Creative Concepts program is a means of creating a truly personal area rug.

With more than 700 mix-and-match base and fabric options, dealers and designers can capture their customers’ unique personalities through a simple three-step process. First, choose a base: Capel offers six indoor–outdoor base carpets, each of which is composed of high-performance olefin. Second, choose a border: Customers can choose from one of 120 woven indoor–outdoor border fabrics or can provide their own material.

Each rug is available in single-, double-, and triple-border construction. Third, choose a size and shape: Creative Concepts rugs are available in a range of sizes, starting at 3x5 feet, and in rectangular, square, octagonal, and runner shapes.

Shown is the Grassy Mountain base with the Lenox border. Contact: (800) 382-6574 or www.capelrugs.com.

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Regatta Deep Seating Clean, fresh, and airy, simplicity abounds; plush seating with contrasting welting: Regatta by Casual Creations is unique and tasteful. This collection is also available in sling and cushion dining with coordinating tables. The Regatta collection will surely fit any outdoor location. Contact: (866) 355-8523 or www.casualcreations.com.

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Grill Carts Northstar Brew Master What’s cooler than a 1950s retro-styled refrigerator from Elmira Stove Works? The same refrigerator is—with a draft-beer–keg kit. It comes in nine standard colors, plus an infinite array of custom colors to match bikes, hot rods, school colors, and more. Choose from three sizes. Contact: www.elmirastoveworks.com.

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Made with a decades-long tradition of craftsmanship, each Challenger grill cart is built with your enjoyment in mind. They are easy to cook with, functional, and simple to clean, with plenty of built-in advantages that will make your grilling hassle free.

They are built to last a lifetime, providing great cookouts for years to come. Contact: www.challengercabinets.com.

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Contemporary Insert Empire’s all-new Loft direct-vent gas insert turns your inefficient wood-burning fireplace into a clean-burning contemporary fireplace. With its linear burner, porcelain lining, variable-speed automatic blower, and louverless surround, the Loft insert’s clean lines will update the look of your hearth from medieval to modern. Choose a surround in a stylish matte black or in a bold stainless steel and black. Add a dash of sparkle to your Loft insert with the available decorative glass in black polished, blue clear, and clear frost versions. Your fireplace dealer offers additional glass colors. The millivolt insert lets you choose from six control options—from a simple switch to a programmable-thermostat remote. Empire’s exclusive Green Earth Preferred™ intermittent-pilot (IP) insert eliminates the standing pilot for enhanced fuel efficiency. The IP system includes an on/off remote control. Empire offers Loft direct-vent fireplace inserts in 20,000-Btu and 27,000-Btu models, both in LP or natural-gas models. Contact: www.empirecomfort.com.

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The Elegance Series: Rodeo California Outdoor Concepts unveils yet another breathtaking series of firepit tables, the Elegance series. Californians worship their climate and are devoted to the outdoors. At every opportunity, they can be found strolling along the boulevards of Beverly Hills and Palm Desert, stopping to relax and converse over drinks alfresco. Now, the allure of these iconic places can be enjoyed at home with the Elegance series. The Rodeo will bring you the Art Deco look of old Hollywood with its sleek, modernist shape.

Fire glowing off reflective glass, in the center stainless-steel firepit, surely will give your backyard that million-dollar appeal.

Contact: www.californiaoutdoorconcepts.com.

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Amalfi The Amalfi pendulum cantilever has a powerful arm that lifts its shade high above any outdoor dining table or seating area. Floating freely, it offers an unobstructed view, with its sleek design. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s versatile in every sense, with the options of rotating 360 degrees, of being permanently affixed to any deck surface, or even of being wall mounted.

Contact: (877) 530-8873 or www.michaelcaravita.com.

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FabStrap

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FabStrapâ&#x201E;˘ is an innovative, environmentally green product, made in the United States, that unites the best features of sling and strap furniture in a stylish hybrid of lasting performance, function, and value. Hospitality properties and homeowners alike will benefit from the appearance and support of sling furniture, without sacrificing the durability and elasticity of strap furniture.

Offered through Casual Creations, FabStrap will significantly reduce previous long-term costs associated with the maintenance and replacement of poolside and beachside furnishings. FabStrap is easily removable (no tools required) and features an adjustable tensioning system to deliver years of comfort and durability. FabStrap is available in hundreds of color combinations to meet the most discerning specifications, and it can be quickly and economically changed, whenever desired, for a fresh new look and style. Contact: www.casualcreations.com.

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Over and Under, Inc., specialists in manufacturing custom out-

HHT’s Carolina Outdoor Gas Fireplace Whether you’re remodeling a patio or building a new outdoor-living space, the Carolina gas fireplace will make it a warm and comfortable area. The Carolina features a beautiful fire, with HHT’s exclusive FireBrick™ technology offering a seamless, real-masonry brick pattern and providing 25% more heat than a metal refractory model.

Standard features on the Carolina include a stainless-steel screen and grate, the IntelliFire Plus™ ignition system for maximum fuel conservation, and stylish controls with an ergonomic design. Contact: heatnglo.com.

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door cushions, slings, and protective furniture covers for nearly 30 years, announces that its new high-performance outdoor cushions are available for all outdoor furniture. All cushions are made to your specifications, using the latest in high-tech materials and innovative custom crafting—and they are backed by an unparalleled five-year warranty. The difference is in the details. Since the low-maintenance, mold-free high-performance outdoor cushion is designed to dry in three hours or less, you’ll spend more time enjoying your outdoor furniture and less time with a wet bottom. Luxuriously comfortable, it’s the high-performance outdoor cushion: If it feels dry, it is dry. Contact: (877) 484-2104 or www.overandunderonline.com.

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EZ-Dri Cushions EZ-Dri polyether–polyurethane foam outdoor cushions dry almost immediately after exposure to rain, salt spray, melting snow, morning dew, washing, or other forms of moisture and humidity.

Large, open pores allow maximum water drainage and air circulation, permitting use quickly after cushions have been wet or even saturated. With EZ-Dri outdoor cushioning materials, you achieve the best of both worlds: long-lasting wear and comfort combined with extremely fast drying.

Contact: www.ezdri.com.

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Dreux Covington: Tropics Garden Designed with today’s busy households in mind, the Covington collection showcases versatile floor fashions with impressive performance features that add to their everyday appeal. Because they are made of the finest 100% fiber-enhanced Courtron™ polypropylene, Covington area rugs are water resistant and can be used in a multitude of spaces, including covered outdoor patios, porches, mudrooms, kitchens, entryways, and many, many more areas.

Treated to prevent the growth of mold and mildew, these multipurpose area rugs are exceptionally easy to clean and are even considered pet friendly. The new Tropics Garden design has a versatile floral palm motif that would perfectly complement island-themed decor. Featuring a unique handhooked construction, this beautifully detailed area rug has the distinctive aesthetic of an artisan-crafted product. Contact: (201) 585-8500 or www.couristan.com.

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Finest selection of contemporar y European stoves, fireplaces, and grills

Ebel’s new woven collection, Dreux, is available in two beautiful new frame colors, driftwood and chestnut. The collection features the new wide weave and is perfect for dining, lounging, and relaxing. The Dreux line even includes a beautiful outdoor daybed.

Contact: www.ebelinc.com.

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Indigo Lounge Chair Crimson Casual’s Indigo lounge chair is a unique design that appeals to both contemporary and traditional tastes and provides the comfort and the U.S.-made quality for which Crimson Casual is known. The Indigo collection is handcrafted from tubular extruded aluminum and is available in both cushion and sling styles.

Choose from many Crimson Casual fabrics and frame finishes to add an inviting touch to any outdoor setting. Contact: www.crimsoncasual.com.

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Phoenix Grill

Elmira Stove Works

Wittus Inc.

Warm up your Victorian, country, or stone home, log cabin, or cottage—any kitchen, with the charm of Elmira’s Antique appliances. Ranges, refrigerators, wall ovens, dishwashers, and microwaves are available in the Antique line. Contact: www.elmirastoveworks.com.

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914.764.5679

www.wittus.com

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PRODUCT

Artisan Mantel Provides Contemporary Setting for Loft Burner Strong horizontal lines and subtle matte finishes make the new Artisan mantels from Empire Comfort Systems the ideal complement to surround the company’s Loft series burners. Available as cabinets or corner cabinets, mantels in the Artisan series are sized to fit Empire’s deluxe vent-free fireboxes and will fit some fireplaces and fireboxes from other manufacturers. Every Artisan mantel is hand assembled from 0.75-inch medium-density fiberboard—for strength and stability—and then finished with two coats of durable, chip-resistant paint in one of two colors: uberchic matte white or broodingly artistic matte black. Contact: www.empirecomfort.com.

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Laguna Collection Erwin and Sons brings artistry and performance together with its new Laguna collection, an elegantly crafted flat-weave seating group in rich Cahaba finish. Each piece is as ergonomically comfortable as it is alluring to the eye. The collection—ideal for interiors, as well as outdoors—includes a three-seat sofa, a love seat, a club chair, a rocking club chair, an ottoman, and woven-top coffee and end tables with 8-millimeter (0.3-inch) tempered, beveled glass. Leisureluxe™ Supreme Comfort cushions are available in over 200 handsome performance fabrics. Contact: (770) 579-0414 or www.erwinandsons.com.

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Adirondack Balcony Set Life just got a little better with the new Adirondack Balcony Set by Poly-Wood®. Complete with curved back and contoured seat for luxury outdoor comfort.

Available in three heights and six traditional colors.

Call or visit us online for more information.

877-457-3284 polywoodinc.com

Café Umbrella Galtech debuts its new 6x6-foot deluxe, commercial café umbrella, new for 2012. Anchored by a contemporary silver finish, the 762SR model is an ideal umbrella for any commercial setting. Features include double-thickness aluminum walls, single-pole construction, and solid resin hubs for increased durability. Contact: (805) 376-1060 or www.galtechcorp.com.

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Tribeca Black Outdoor Rug

See it for yourself at the following locations

Chicago – The Merchandise Mart – Suite 1760 Atlanta – AmericasMart – Building 2, 9th Floor - The Gardens Section Syracuse – Corporate Showroom Circle Reader Service No. 74

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Made with recycled material.

MADE IN SYRACUSE, INDIANA

Perfect rows of imperfect circles interlock like links of ornate chain in this eye-pleasing intersection of the traditional and the contemporary.

Handhooked in the age-old Eastern manner from black and oatmeal-colored synthetic DuraCord® yarns, this heirloom-quality Sawgrass Mills® outdoor rug won’t rot, mold, mildew, fade, or stain, yet it has the sought-after softness of cotton. An exceptional complement to back deck or beach-house floor, Tribeca black comes in either 5x8-foot or 8x10-foot sizes, and is also available in garnet, spruce, and pesto color palettes. Contact: (800) 334-1078 or www.thehammocksource.com.

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Grand Terrace Firepit Gensun Casual Living has added a firepit to the popular Grand Terrace collection. This collection represents elegant design with exceptional value. The new 54-inch firepit features full cast-aluminum construction, a copper bowl, a firescreen, a poker, and a fire grate, and it is available in 11 frame finishes. Copper bowls are also available separately for use as beverage coolers during those wonderful summer days. Contact: www.gensuncasual.com.

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Catalina Patio Renaissance is pleased to present Catalina, a luxurious (but affordable) deep seating and dining collection. This weather-resistant line is available in a sectional, a club chair, a swivel rocker, a sofa, a love seat, a round ottoman, and single and double adjustable chaises, as well as dining and bar chairs. Customers have the option of choosing between woven or aluminum table bases. Contact: (866) 690-5673 or www.patiorenaissance.com.

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Comfortable, Stylish Folding Furniture Faulkner offers comfort, quality, and style in easy-to-carry, easy-to-store folding furniture. Faulkner recliners feature an easy-to-use lever lock system for selecting reclining angle; they are available in a variety of high-density padded or mesh fabrics. The director’s chairs feature a mesh panel insert and a lightweight aluminum-tube frame. They are available in blue, black, and green, with padded armrests. The high-back chairs are adjustable to five positions with high-density back support, available in green, black, and wineberry. All Faulkner chairs feature UV-resistant polyester or cotton fabric. Optional accessories include an attachable serving tray, a carrying bag, and an accessory pouch.

Contact: (888) 441-2708 or www.faulknerfurniture.com.

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Sunbrella.com The Sunbrella® online fabric showroom has been redesigned with new functionality aimed at improving the fabric-search experience. The updates include advanced-search, quick-drape, fabric-coordinates, and sharing functions that provide more ways than ever before for visitors to experience Sunbrella fabrics. The search yields individual fabrics or multiple options (depending on the information that a visitor provides) and creates a starting point in the selection of Sunbrella fabrics. The Sunbrella fabric online showroom recently won a silver American Advertising Federation Triad ADDY® Award for interactive media website, consumer HTML. Contact: www.sunbrella.com.

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Solaris by Heat & Glo

Inspired by the setting sun, the Solaris™ is the world’s only see-through, circular, direct-vent gas fireplace. This award-winning fireplace features artistic performance never seen before in fireplaces. Available in two models, it is also the world’s thinnest see-through circular fireplace and can be installed on a wall framed with 2x6-inch lumber. The Solaris 36-ST has a patent-pending transparent Razor™ burner positioned at the center of the fireplace, producing flames that appear to be suspended in midair. The Solaris 36-MR has the same advanced burner technology and is outfitted with LED lighting and mirrored glass, creating a dramatic illusion of continuous, levitating flames dancing into infinity. For the surround, 36 color combinations of powder coat or gloss paint are available for both models. Unmatched in the industry, the Solaris is ideal for both residential and commercial applications. Contact: www.heatnglo.com.

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Looking for originality?

Elmira’s unique vintage-styled appliance lines offer exclusive territories, national advertising support and excellent profit potential. Choose from Antique or retro-cool Northstar.

Jalapeño Rack by Big Green Egg For a crowd-pleasing appetizer, the new Big Green Egg jalapeño rack holds up to 20 jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheese or other savory ingredients. The heavy-duty stainless-steel rack is dishwasher safe, and the set includes a handy corer. Contact: Jodi@biggreenegg.com or www.biggreenegg.com.

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Phoenix Charcoal Grill ProFire Grills, a division of Modern Home Products Corp., has released the new Phoenix charcoal grill. This innovative new design combines high-quality construction with unique temperature controls, including independently adjustable dual charcoal trays and upper and lower vents that can be fully opened for searing or partially closed for slow cooking. The vents can also be completely closed to extinguish the fire–saving the charcoal. The grill’s heavy-duty construction is backed by a lifetime warranty. Contact: www.profiregrills.com.

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BreatheEasy Recliner by Erwin and Sons

RANGES • COOKSTOVES RANGE HOODS • MICROWAVES REFRIGERATORS • DISHWASHERS

The Erwin and Sons Breathe collection introduces its new Morris-style recliner, a generously appointed high-back chair with four adjustable positions for superb relaxation.

Its ergonomically designed Leisureluxe™ cushion offers flawless lumbar, neck, and head support. The Morris-style recliner is available in an array of finishes and hundreds of performance fabrics. Contact: (770) 579-0414 or www.erwinandsons.com.

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Adorned with nickel, brass, copper or chrome, each custom-built appliance is true to its era.

Models available in gas, electric, wood-burning or dual fuel.

Think outside the stainless steel box.

ElmiraStoveWorks.com 1 800 295 8498 Circle Reader Service No. 76

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Firepits by Faulkner Faulkner Furniture introduces its new firepits, with distinct design and elegance. These firepits are constructed of 100% steel with a black finish that is attractive, but durable enough to withstand high temperatures. The bowl is 7 inches deep and 29.5 inches in diameter, surrounded by a 5-inch–wide mesh screen table contour, for a total diameter of 40 inches. The height, from the floor to the mesh rim, is 14 inches. The firepits are available in standard mesh or diamond mesh designs. A spark protector comes standard with each firepit. Arc-shaped mesh benches are purchased separately. These benches are also constructed of 100% steel with a black finish. They are 16 inches high and 13 inches wide. The length of the outer arc is 22.5 inches; the length of inner arc is 17 inches. They are sold in boxes of two. Contact: (888) 441-2708 or www.faulknerfurniture.com.

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Flush-mount Application For a lower-profile, seamless look, Infratech’s W and WD series heaters can be recessed with an optional flush-mount frame kit. This supports the heater within a small pocket in the ceiling.

Contact: www.infratech-usa.com.

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Umbrellas by Summerset Outdoor Living

Highwood USA Highwood USA L.L.C. of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, continues to expand its own brand of finished products, announcing the launch of deep seating, benches, rocking chairs, and a king-size Adirondack at the September Chicago International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market™. A range of Sunbrella® fabric cushions will also add to the customization and comfort of the collection. Check out the company’s showcase store at shop.highwood-usa.com.

Contact: (262) 501-2580 or www.highwood-usa.com.

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Summerset Outdoor Living is excited to announce the introduction of its newest umbrella collection.

These transformative umbrellas are created, designed, and manufactured in the United States and are developed with the highest-quality Sunbrella® fabrics.

Summerset umbrellas can be custom designed to coordinate with any outdoor setting and are available in four sizes: 9 feet, 11 feet, square (10x10 feet), and rectangle (10.5x6.5 feet). In addition to this variety of sizes, Summerset umbrellas can include alternating panels, accent designs, single or double wind options, and valance upgrades. Please contact the company to customize your design for your showroom—to create that wow appeal. Contact: www.summersetoutdoorliving.com.

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Bungalow The lines between indoors and outdoors continue to blur with Homecrest’s introduction of a new collection, Bungalow. Bungalow is a slipcovered deep seating and dining collection that allows consumers versatility, with Homecrest’s wide array of sophisticated, all-weather–resistant fabric choices. Because the Bungalow slipcover is removable, it offers endless possibilities for fashionable change. This fully upholstered collection combines the Homecrest comfort you have come to expect with today’s organic styling. Bungalow is crafted of aluminum for durability in the outdoor environment, and its curvaceous cast feet add an unexpected visual pleasure to this collection. Dress your outdoor space as you would your indoor space with Homecrest’s Bungalow collection, and impress your friends and family. Contact: www.homecrest.com/designcenter.

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Half Wall Galtech International introduces the Half Wall umbrella for 2012.

The 3.5x7-foot rectangular shade enables the umbrella to be placed directly next to a wall or window to maximize shade coverage in confined spaces. The 772 Half Wall umbrella is designed to be used in both commercial and residential settings. Contact: (805) 376-1060 or www.galtechcorp.com.

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Pro Joe by Kamado Joe Pro Joe carries the largest cooking area, the highest thermal retention, more precise temperature control, reengineered ergonomics, and an exceptional aesthetic design. Pro Joe is intended for planned or existing outdoor kitchens. It is made in the United States; its cart is optional. Contact: (678) 866-0642 or www.kamadojoe.com.

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Montebello See-through Gas Fireplace Enjoy a stunningly realistic fire inside and outside of the home with this customizable and convenient see-through fireplace from the Dave Lennox Signature collection.

Its newly designed, high-definition split-oak log set has a beautiful glow when burning in the expansive, two-sided opening. A unique burner design provides 60,000 Btu per hour for superior flame height, with a 50% turndown capability. The Montebello® ST offers the option of tinted glass, designed to enhance ambience while reducing outside glare. Contact: www.lennox.com.

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Hitzer Stoker Coal Stove Model 608 The Hitzer Stoker coal stove model 608 is a superior-quality product that your customers will love. Its features include a Btu range of 7,000 to 90,000, an integrated Coal-Trol thermostatic-control combustion air system, the ability to hold up to 90 pounds of coal, cast-iron doors, pewter or gold accents, double-wall construction, a 2-inch rear clearance and 4-inch side clearances, a 320-cfm circulation fan, and a galvanized-steel hopper (optional). Every Hitzer heating system is carefully handbuilt by Amish craftsmen. Only the finest materials are used, and no shortcuts are taken. Each system provides efficient burning with effective consumption of secondary gases. The result: more heat with less fuel consumed. Contact: (260) 589-8536 or www.hitzer.com.

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Grand Terrace Wicker Sling Gensun’s Grand Terrace wicker sling collection combines beautifully detailed cast arms and legs with a customwoven wicker seat, creating a striking and comfortable chair. The high-back design adds to the comfort, for a product that completes any outdoor room. The collection offers a dining chair, a swivel rocker, a love-seat glider, swivel barstools and balcony stools, and a chaise.

Contact: www.gensuncasual.com.

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Summerset Outdoor Living Summerset Outdoor Living stocks 12 of its most popular fabrics for quick turnaround and offers over 40 durable Sunbrella® fabrics (with three-year warranties). For customized service, an OEM cushion program is available (all you need to do is provide dimensions/pictures/samples). Throw pillows are also available in both rectangular and square sizes, along with four different vent styles in umbrellas. Whether your customers seek a casual, classic, contemporary, or elegant look, Summerset Outdoor Living offers the furnishings, fabrics, cushions, pillows, and umbrellas that will match their decor. Contact: www.summersetoutdoorliving.com.

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Heritage by Sunbrella Glen Raven Custom Fabrics has introduced Heritage, a Sunbrella® furniture fabric featuring 50% recycled content. With a homespun look and extensive palette of 12 colors, Heritage is a blend of postindustrial recycled Sunbrella and Sunbrella virgin fiber that helps ensure that the product meets stringent Sunbrella performance standards. The recycled content comes from cutting-table waste from various customers, as well as from fiber, yarn, and fabric waste from the Sunbrella manufacturing facility. The fabric is ideal for those customers who want a beautiful fabric that also tells a story. Contact: www.sunbrella.com.

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Ironhaus

Grandview 230 Wood-burning Stove

Ironhaus is proud to introduce the new addition of freestanding screens to its popular fireplace-door line. Available in rectangular or arch, and in all the finishes and textures your customers love, this much-anticipated line is sure to be a hit on your display floor.

Freestanding screens are available in stock and customizable sizes.

Call Ironhaus for pricing and details. Contact: www.ironhaus.com or (866) 880-0900.

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Eminently elegant, with an array of versatile design options, the latest EPA-certified entry from the Country® collection by Lennox Hearth Products raises the standard for home heating. Expansive ceramic glass gives unobstructed views of the fire, while the advanced refractory system and innovative heat exchanger combine to deliver the perfect amount of radiant heat. Easy operation and one-touch control make product interaction a breeze.

Contact: www.lennox.com.

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Introducing Rio Nova The Nova beam mount series from Shademaker has a truly unique design.

It provides a commercial-awning–grade shade solution within an existing architectural structure. Nova’s design maximizes the shaded area, making it ideal for pergolas, arbors, gazebos, lanais, or any other existing structure that requires overhead shade. Nova features quick setup and easy operation, and it is easily detachable for storage. For over a decade, Shademaker has been the premier line of hospitality shade products for the finest resorts, restaurants, and country clubs around the world. The company offers 20 innovative shade styles and 40 distinctive solutions to create beautiful and sophisticated outdoor environments. Engineered for strength and durability, Shademaker products provide high-level functionality and long-term value. Shown is the Nova-27-S. Contact: (626) 338-8810 or www.shademakerusa.com.

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The Rio collection represents a sunny, lighthearted take on classically designed furniture. In South America, inspiration is a lifestyle and a tropical paradise is home. This collection is built on the energy of Rio’s legendary carnivals, pulsating samba scene, and expansive beaches. Wide woven layers create flowing lines within each piece. Accents are carefully braided into the designs, while smoothly styled deep seating is a collection hallmark. Luxurious back cushions and deep seating provide casual comfort throughout. Swaying, easy-moving design elements crackle with the explosively entertaining lifestyle of Rio de Janeiro. Sweeping bodies are comfortably built invitations to self-indulgence. The Rio collection provides an exotic foundation for the festive nooks or rooms in your home. Contact: www.lloydflanders.com.

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Go beyond ordinary.

Design-edly Different!

Sag Harbor Chaise: SH70

beach patio market

Kingsley-Bate’s Sag Harbor chaise has the genuine look of weathered antique wicker, but with the lasting durability of the finest all-weather materials. The chaise has adjustable back positions for optimal comfort. An optional cushion is available for exceptional comfort and is made with Sunbrella® or Outdura® Fabric. The chaise is shipped fully assembled and is constructed with solid-teak wheels for movement with minimal effort.

Contact: (703) 361-7000 or www.kingsleybate.com.

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ZIPJACK

CUSTOM UMBRELLAS ZIPJACK INDUSTRIES, LTD.

ELMSFORD, NEW YORK 10523 TEL 914.592-2000 FAX 914.592-3023

WWW.ZIPJACKUMBRELLAS.COM Circle Reader Service No. 79

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Single Swing With Oak Arms—Royal Red Stripe A singular single-swing experience: The frame and sumptuously curved, steam-bent, white-oak arms are repeatedly hand-dipped in marine spar varnish, hued a warm honey gold. The plush seat, of pillowy fiberfill batting, is sandwiched between two layers of cottony-soft, all-weather DuraCord® fabric, resistant to rot, mold, mildew, fading, and staining. Part of the Hatteras Hammocks® Equestrian collection, this simple, elegant striped fabric pattern is based on rich, royal red—recalling an old-time jockey’s vest on race day. Hanging chains are heavy galvanized steel. Contact: (800) 334-1078 or www.thehammocksource.com.

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Ironhaus Express Direct-vent screens are the newest and best-value handcrafted face for gas fireplaces now available. They convert a potentially dangerous fireplace into a safe and very attractive element of art, all at pricing your customer will find irresistible. Contact: www.ironhaus.com or (866) 880-0900.

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Pit Mitt The Big Green Egg Pit Mitt® is a soft, aramid-fiber glove that allows the user to handle hot items around (and directly off ) a very hot grill. The washable Pit Mitt is reversible for the left or right hand and has silicone on the surface for a superior grip. Contact: Jodi@biggreenegg.com or www.biggreenegg.com.

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Havenhill Pneumatic Chaise Homecrest has added a new chaise to its popular Havenhill collection.

Havenhill is a sling group featuring a patented Butterfly Basket® that offers superior comfort. Taking comfort to the next level, this chaise features a pneumatic adjustment lever that allows you to adjust your position up or down with just the push of a button. Customize the Havenhill pneumatic chaise or other Homecrest products at the company’s website. Contact: www.homecrest.com/designcenter.

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Hitzer 30-95 EZ-Flo Hopper Stove The Hitzer 30-95 EZ-Flo hopper stove is an outstandingly efficient and convenient heating source. With a 30-pound hopper, this stove has extended long burns and produces over 60,000 Btu of evenly warm temperatures. The advanced technology of a removable hopper is an added convenience of this top-choice stove. Like all Hitzer stoves, the 30-95 is thermostatically controlled, and it provides heating without electricity. With heating capabilities of up to 2,000 square feet, the EZ-Flo meets your heating needs, as well as providing beauty and charm for one’s home. The full-view firebox window allows easy viewing that creates cozy, warm relaxation. With a stove color to match your home, the Hitzer 30-95 will decorate your home, produce cost-efficient heat, and create a warm and soothing environment. Contact: (260) 589-8536 or www.hitzer.com.

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New SL-series Slimline Electric Heaters With crisp modern styling, brushed stainless-steel trim with an optional dark contrasting housing, and narrow profiles, Infratech’s new SL-series Slimline single-element electric heaters virtually disappear into the surrounding decor. These heaters feature a durable anodized-aluminum housing with an architectural finish that is capable of withstanding years of outdoor use. Contact: www.infratech-usa.com.

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Big Pig and Little Pig Cabinet Smokers Stone Age Manufacturing introduces the Big Pig™ and Little Pig™, a pair of refractory-concrete and steel masonry cabinet smokers. The Big Pig, at 7 feet tall, offers plenty of cooking area, while the Little Pig offers similar features in a scaled-down, 5-foot–tall package. Both feature a unique venting system for complete temperature control and thick insulating walls for maximum thermal efficiency, and both will accept any masonry-compatible finish, allowing seamless blending into any outdoor design. Contact: www.stoneagemanufacturing.com.

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REDEFINING

LIFE

OUTDOORS

THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR CASUAL FURNITURE, ACCESSORIES, AND OUTDOOR LIVING TRENDS

MONDAY-THURSDAY

SEPTEMBER 12–15, 2011

THE MERCHANDISE MART IN CHICAGO REGISTER AT CASUALMARKET.COM I 800.677.6278 SPONSORED BY

PRODUCED BY

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PRODUCT

Ventura Patio Renaissance is pleased to present Ventura, a luxurious (but affordable) deep seating and dining collection. This weather-resistant line is available in a sofa, a love seat, a club chair, a swivel rocker, a dining chair, a dining swivel chair, and single and double chaises. This beautiful collection looks and feels like real wicker. Contact: (866) 690-5673 or www.patiorenaissance.com.

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MLW Stone, L.L.C., Introduces

StacKIT

Natural Stacked-stone Fireplace Kits This new product has the look and workmanship of authentic, natural stacked stone. Integrated with today’s innovative technology, it reduces significantly the cost of installation. Most natural stacked-stone fireplaces are cut and installed in individual pieces—but

StacKIT

surrounds are prefabricated into panels that are cut to standard fireplace-kit sizes and can be installed in minutes, just as you would install a marble or granite surround.

These kits are stocked in MLW’s three standard sizes and include a header, two legs, a riser, and a three-piece hearth; 6x24-inch interlocking panels, complete with corner pieces, are also available to accommodate raised hearths and wall applications. The product is available in two colors: Carden gold and multicolor. Contact: (800) 477-7665 Ext. 127 or www.mlwstone.com.

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Napoleon BGD40G Modern Multiview Gas Fireplace The demand for a modern, 36-inch, multisided gas fireplace has brought to life Napoleon’s new BGD40G, featuring an elegant topaz CRYSTALINE™ ember bed. The raised linear burner creates a perfect display of YELLOW DANCING FLAMES® that glitter throughout the glass crystals and the porcelain reflective radiant panels that come standard with these units. Available in see-though and peninsula models, the BGD40G offers a beautiful view of the fire from multiple sides. The 30,000-Btu output, with an impressive 50% flame/heat adjustment, allows for maximum comfort and efficiency. Contact: (800) 461-5581 or www.napoleonfireplaces.com.

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Tamarack Deep Seating With Cypress Firepit The new Tamarack collection by OW Lee embodies outdoor luxury with an organic (yet refined) appeal. The 100% aluminum frame allows this collection to be enjoyed year round and in any climate, whether at the family lake house or a desert vacation retreat. The large-scale deep seating pieces feature plush, deep seat cushions, making the Tamarack collection comfortable and stylish. Tamarack is shown with the new Cypress aluminum chat-height firepit, made of lightweight, easy-care aluminum. Like all OW Lee firepits, the Cypress offers a beautiful fireside ambience using propane, and it comes with a natural-gas converter. Contact: (800) 776-9533 or www.owlee.com.

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Vermont Castings Aura Linear Fireplace With the Auraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing 70-inch viewing area, no other brand manufactures a wider fireplace.* With a number of exterior and interior style options, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to create a unique look thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stunning in residential or commercial settings. Its size doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t compromise its convenience, however. The longest standard production fireplace using only one 5x8-inch vent pipe,â&#x20AC; the Aura is easy to install and maintain. Featuring the exclusive Total Signature Commandâ&#x201E;˘ system, it offers ultimate fireplace control. *Width is based on standard production models; excludes custom models. â&#x20AC; This excludes custom models; other similar noncustom models require nonstandard venting and, in some instances, dual vents, increasing overall installation costs. Contact: www.vermontcastings.com.

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Join us under the umbrella.

Westport Dining Armchair: WR15S Designed by John Caldwell, Kingsley-Bateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Westport collection is elegant in its simplicity. Accented by solid-teak rails, the dining armchair is handwoven with the finest all-weather wicker around a powder-coated aluminum frame. A required cushion is sold separately. The Westport collection is stocked in sea salt wicker and is available in natural brown and black. Contact: (703) 361-7000 or www.kingsleybate.com.

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Malibu Bar Set The Malibu bar set by NorthCape International is a great addition to the already best-selling modular collection to date. It features UV-protected, durable, flat-weave resin on a commercial-grade aluminum frame and two woven shelves; the barstools fit easily into the shelves of the bar for hassle-free storage. Contact the company for more information on Malibu, Malibu Grande, or accessories. Contact: www.northcapeinternational.com.

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With the collective knowledge and experience of our members, the ICFA is uniquely able to offer the tools you need to succeed in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive outdoor furnishings market. To learn how ICFA membership can EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W \RX RU \RXU FRPSDQ\ FDOO RU YLVLW ,&)$QHW RUJ

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PRODUCT

Montreux URComfort Cushion Lounge Chair

Low Country This distinctive collection by Lloyd/Flanders lives up to the easy reputation of its namesake. South Carolina’s Low Country has been a treasured cultural hub for generations, bursting with agricultural wealth and antebellum good taste. Grand plantations flourished in the mid-18th and 19th centuries; harbors welcomed ships from around the world, bringing influences of Caribbean, Asian, and European cultures to the Low Country. All of these influences combined to form the region’s patchwork heritage. Contact: www.lloydflanders.com.

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Northshore Chat Named for the coastal marshlands of Massachusetts, Tommy Bahama Outdoor’s North Shore collection elegantly combines classic details with natural influences. The outstanding response to last year’s introduction of the dining collection encouraged the company to create the chat and seating groups for the 2012 selling season. Bring the island lifestyle to any location with Tommy Bahama Outdoor furniture. Contact: www.plantationpatterns.com.

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URComfort™ cushion seating harmonizes with the movement of your body to find the most comfortable position. Tropitone’s Montreux cushion collection is enhanced by the function and comfort of the URComfort articulated movement system. The Montreux URComfort cushion lounge chair is a combination of innovation and a trusted design. Contact: www.tropitone.com.

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Plantation MAX Cantilever by TUUCI TUUCI’s Plantation MAX cantilever creates a cool retreat with warm ambience.

Its exclusive Aluma-TEAK state-of-the-art hardwood finish is combined with TUUCI’s durable Armor-Wall Aluminum™ construction, making a parasol guaranteed to endure for generations. Featuring classic European tailoring, the Plantation MAX cantilever provides 144 square feet of uninterrupted shade and ambience.

Contact: www.tuuci.com.

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Manchester Protégé Casual’s Manchester party bar set brings the life of the party to the outside. If you’re looking for an all-cast party bar at a great price point, this is right up your alley. Partner it with Manchester swivel bar chairs (along with Mario’s handmade pizza), and you’re set. The Manchester collection is the largest cast collection in Protégé Casual’s lineup, with dining, sectional, and deep seating pieces, along with egg tables and the party bar set—rounding out the collection and giving you everything you need to extend your lifestyle outdoors. Contact: www.protegecasual.com.

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Cabana Beach Chair With the Cabana beach chair, Telescope has added to its successful wood-furniture line. This classic chair can use numerous acrylic fabric options to achieve any look you desire. Shown in the photo are classic blue-and-white stripe, hot pink, white, and palm on a varnished frame. Contact: www.telescopecasual.com.

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Mezzo Pizza Oven

South Terrace

Stone Age Manufacturing introduces the Mezzo™ wood-fired pizza oven, the perfect complement for the company’s cabinet component system kitchen islands—offering 810 square inches of cooking area, an arched-roof design echoing the traditional ovens of the Old World, and plenty of thermal mass for optimum cooking performance. Constructed of reinforced refractory concrete, the Mezzo offers simple assembly and will provide years of trouble-free cooking enjoyment. Contact: www.stoneagemanufacturing.com.

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South Terrace is influenced by pieces located in the Winter Garden of Biltmore House, the Asheville, North Carolina, residence of George Vanderbilt and family. The all-weather collection is crafted with resin molded over an aluminum frame with a Viro® synthetic weave, designed specifically for year-round, all-weather outdoor use. The group has a sophisticated aesthetic with exposed bamboo-like legs, as well as chair and sofa backs with unique fretwork designs that offer a distinct design statement. Contact: www.whitecraftinc.net.

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Highwood USA Highwood USA L.L.C. of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, has added a range of outdoor accessory items that includes a useful add-on laptop table (shown) and a tête-à-tête connection table for its Adirondack chairs, plus other outdoor accessories—all made from its unique, next-generation synthetic-wood material. These items are available immediately. Check out the company’s showcase store at shop.highwood-usa.com. Contact: (262) 501-2580 or www.highwood-usa.com.

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Euro Bistro Table Bring style and performance to any outdoor setting with the sophisticated look of Poly-Wood’s new Euro bistro table. Beautifully designed to handle demanding all-weather environments, the Euro bistro table matches finely crafted aluminum frames with durable Poly-Wood slats in an exciting variety of fashion colors. This table is available in three different heights: dining, counter, or bar. Choose from 13 different slat colors and three different frame-color options. Contact: www.polywoodinc.com.

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Florence Dining Collection The Florence collection uses bold, interwoven lines to create airy (yet solid) pieces. Made of premium A356 aluminum, this collection offers buyers an armchair, a swivel rocker, a swivel barstool, a stationary barstool (with both barstools available in balcony height), and a love seat. Each piece comes with Outdoor Lifestyle’s unique 15-year limited warranty on frames and a five-year limited warranty on paint finishes in residential use. Contact: Virginia Hamilton at (800) 294-4758, virginiah@olfurniture.com, or www.olfurniture.com.

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Optifire Versatile and elegant, the Optifire from Bodart & Gonay offers endless design possibilities. Created in Belgium with high performance in mind, this zero-clearance fireplace is made to transform an ordinary living space into a warm and welcoming gathering place.

Outstanding design features include invisible hinges, a locking system integrated into the facade, and a large curved or flat glass window for an unobstructed view of the fire. For added convenience, a technologically advanced air-wash system keeps the glass clean and clear, a thermostat control is used for regulating heat output, and all parts are easily accessible and serviceable from inside the firebox. Contact: (914) 764-5679 or www.wittus.com.

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Casablanca Living Set The Casablanca living set has a design of simplicity and clarity. It is composed of all-weather, graphite-black Sunloom resin, handwoven over an aluminum frame. It features a distinctive taper-shaped armrest, made of aluminum that is 2 millimeters thick, using a special process of punching, bending, and welding. Casablanca uses a high-quality powder-coating and finishing process that can prevent scratching and color fading. Its strong, reinforced structure provides both comfort and contract quality. Contact: (866) 919-1881 or www.ratana.com.

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PRODUCT

Jazz Dining Collection

Manchester Square Conversation Firepit The Manchester square conversation firepit by Protégé Casual says it all and was recently brought to life by popular demand. The company needed to expand on its already-popular all-cast–aluminum firepit in the Manchester collection. Fire up you showroom—and customers’ outdoor rooms—with a great price point in a high-end firepit. Contact: www.protegecasual.com.

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The Jazz collection blends classic elements, crafted in A356 aluminum, to create a sophisticated family of furnishings. The Jazz collection includes an armchair, a swivel rocker, a swivel barstool, a stationary barstool, a love seat, and a 36-inch square table (also available as a rectangular table). All pieces offer Outdoor Lifestyle’s unique 15-year limited warranty on furniture frames and a five-year limited warranty on paint finishes in residential use. Contact: Virginia Hamilton at (800) 294-4758, virginiah@olfurniture.com, or www.olfurniture.com.

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UltimateONE UltimateONE offers the latest technologies in factory-built chimney design, providing superior performance, durability, and safety. UltimateONE’s inner liner and outer casting are constructed of all-welded 304 stainless steel for superior strength and corrosion resistance.

Engineered with a web coupler design using an inch of Superwool insulation that makes contact at the seam, UltimateONE allows for pipe expansion and eliminates cold-air infiltration. Because UltimateONE is locked together with a latch-type locking band, no-tool installations are quick, solid, and secure every time. Contact: (800) 433-6341 (United States), (888) 735-5475 (Canada), or www.selkirkcorp.com.

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Cayman Collection Bradford Lifestyles combines the classic beauty of teak with the modern feel of wicker.

The Cayman collection is artistically woven with an offset color of dark chocolate within the main honey wicker. Constructed of the finest plantation grade A teak and Raucord wicker, this collection is praised for its beauty and durability. Pick specific pieces for your ideal grouping, and add deep, comfy cushions in a wide array of fabric choices. Contact: (604) 241-1030 or www.bradfordlifestyles.com.

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Napoleon’s New Charcoal Kettle Grill

Richland Sling

Napoleon’s new NK22CK-L charcoal kettle grill features a large grilling area and multiple vents, which are perfect for all cooking requirements. Three cooking heights are ideal for direct cooking, indirect cooking, or smoking. The NK22CK-L comes complete with a 22.5-inch–diameter cooking area; a porcelain enamel lid and bowl; adjustable air controls (top and bottom); an ACCU-PROBE™ temperature gauge; cool-touch, heavy-duty handles; a removable, high-capacity ash catcher; and a sturdy cart with a storage shelf. Contact: (877) 588-2220 or www.nacdealers.com.

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The beautifully clean lines of this collection, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, are as exciting today as when designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright first created these styles, 100 years ago. Paying homage to Wright’s birthplace in Richland Center, Wisconsin, Telescope Casual has named this exciting new collection the Richland sling collection. It is constructed of the company’s marine-grade polymer and is available with an array of exciting new sling fabrics. Create a complete outdoor room with this new collection and the coordinating Richland cushion collection. Contact: www.telescopecasual.com.

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

Bainbridge Bainbridge by NorthCape International offers a luxurious resort feel and comfort for your backyard at an affordable price. This Southern Living modular collection is versatile enough to fit anyone’s living space. Bainbridge features an elegant, curved arm; a lightweight aluminum frame; durable, UV-protected polyethylene woven resin; and plush deep seating for added comfort. Contact: www.northcapeinternational.com.

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Ocean Master MAX Zero Horizon With a minimalist design, TUUCI’s Ocean Master MAX Zero Horizon maintains a zero vertical profile, allowing for an undisturbed view of its natural surroundings. Built to withstand direct ocean gusts and desert wind blasts, it features maximized components to create a durable and functionally supreme shade platform.

Contact: (305) 634-5116 or www.tuuci.com.

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Advanced Convection Morsø 5660 Fireplace Insert The Morsø 5660 fireplace insert can transform nearly all open masonry fireplaces into beautiful home-heating allies that can distribute 50,000 Btu per hour of heat to warm up to 2,200 square feet. Already a top-selling fireplace insert, the 5660, available standard or with an optional blower kit, has a large combustion chamber that accommodates 20-inch logs and delivers high performance, with emissions of 4.5 grams per hour and efficiency of more than 75%. Houses without chimneys or fireplaces can also use the advanced-convection Morsø 5660 fireplace insert with the installation of a Morsø zero-clearance enclosure and class A chimney (sold separately). The Morsø zero-clearance enclosure is designed, tested, and approved for use solely with the Morsø 5660 standard and 5660 NA fireplace-insert models. Contact: (866) 883-9619 or www.morsona.com.

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Diamond Bay Seating Tommy Bahama Outdoor is pleased to present Diamond Bay, new for the 2012 selling season.

Handwoven elements with a rich, multistep finish enhance the furniture pieces, which are elegantly accented by your choice of exotic marble or durable cast-aluminum table surfaces. The unique storage ottoman also adds functionality. Let Tommy Bahama Outdoor’s new Diamond Bay collection whisk you away to far-flung locales, all from the comfort of home. Contact: www.plantationpatterns.com.

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Flex Fuel Vista Collection The 100% aluminum Vista club chair envelops your body with cushioned comfort. Soft pillow backs, fully formed and upholstered arms, and soft deep seat cushions are combined with an elegantly sculpted, hexagonal aluminum-tube frame that exudes style and elegance. Vista is perfect for any outdoor setting. Contact: (800) 776-9533 or www.owlee.com.

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Bioenergy Flex Fuel series indoor and outdoor furnaces are engineered with proven, clean European technologies and WoodMaster quality and durability built right in; Flex Fuel series furnaces’ fuel options—cordwood, wood pellets, or wood chips—help you control savings and provide ease of operation. Flex Fuel furnaces are also solar capable, which is another option for saving even more money and using less fuel. Of all the phase 2 cleaner-burning hydronic heaters rated by the EPA, WoodMaster Flex Fuel tops the list. Contact: www.WoodMaster.com.

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PRODUCT

Vanuatu Collection Bradford Lifestyles introduces the Vanuatu collection. This beautiful collection offers all the comforts of the bigger, heavier wicker looks, but with a refined delicacy. The sides are airy and light, giving Vanuatu a softer look with universal appeal. The collection has a full complement of pieces for any combination. Big, bright, comfy cushions complete the set for a sit-down, stay-awhile feeling. Contact: (604) 241-1030 or www.bradfordlifestyles.com.

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Treasure Garden’s Hot Color Trends For 2012, Treasure Garden introduces the hottest new color trends from Sunbrella® and Sunbury. The elegant and sophisticated collection includes a Swiss dot in hot pink from Sunbury. It is a timeless pattern that is colorful and cheery. The other colors that complete this new collection are the exclusive Treasure Garden Sunbrella Cannes cabana stripe, designed to coordinate with the new Sunbrella hot pink. The other new color trends are stripes, stripes, and more stripes, which are bold, energetic, and fun. Another Treasure Garden exclusive is the company’s Sunbrella Sunset Beach. These new color trends will be on display at #1655 Merchandise Mart, Chicago, Illinois. With over 25,000 choices available, Treasure Garden is the number-one name in shade. Contact: www.treasuregarden.com or info@treasuregarden.com.

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Lakeside URComfort Cushion Action Lounger URComfort™ cushion seating harmonizes with the movement of your body to find the most comfortable position. Tropitone’s Lakeside cushion collection is enhanced by the function and comfort of the URComfort articulated movement system. The Lakeside URComfort cushion action lounger with panels is a combination of innovation and a trusted design. Contact: www.tropitone.com.

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Sonoma Collection The Sonoma collection of seating and dining selections melds beautiful transitional styling with all-weather durability. The Viro® weave is presented in a sophisticated Trax mink finish on frames that gently wrap around each seat. With hundreds of outdoor fabrics from which to select, Sonoma is a study in chic, sophisticated style. Sonoma will be on display in Whitecraft’s new showroom, suite 1752 of the Design Center at the Merchandise Mart. Contact: www.whitecraftinc.net.

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Toba Pellet Stove A contemporary heating machine designed with form and functionality in mind, the Toba pellet stove has clean, simple lines based on style and technique. It is imported by Wittus and was conceptualized by MCZ in collaboration with EMO, a market-focused Italian design firm.

The 2011 IF Product Design Award–winning Toba represents a new way of thinking. This pellet stove is not just a fireplace, but a piece of fine furniture. A distinguished face in elegant colors and a solid, rectangular body separate the Toba from other pellet products. Its distinctive features include Comfort Air® technology, which extracts the heat produced by the stove with unequaled efficiency (over 90%). Contact: (914) 764-5679 or www.wittus.com.

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Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

Vermont Castings Signature Series 301 Grill Rated number one by a leading consumer magazine,* the 301 series offers the convenience of EasyFlame ignition, LED controls, and powerful performance. With premium, 304-grade true stainless-steel construction and the company’s Signature FlavorSeal system, this grill looks stunning and delivers precise results. Customers can choose from freestanding or built-in models. Special marketing and event-planning kits are available for all Signature series grills, helping increase sales and drive traffic to your store. *This is based on the 2010 midsize-grill category, 300 series. Contact: www.vermontcastings.com.

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MiniHog T1000

Chippendale Dining Chair Inspired by 18th-century design, the new Chippendale dining chair by Poly-Wood features the fine, intricate details of the classic Chippendale style.

The Chippendale dining chair pairs a unique, terraced lattice back with a curve, for a more comfortable and relaxing feel. The experienced performance of this collection, featuring a contoured seat and stylish legs, is sure to add a personalized touch to your outdoor environment. The Chippendale chair is available in six traditional colors and in three different heights: dining, counter and bar. Contact: www.polywoodinc.com.

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The WoodMaster T1000 Mini Hog pellet grill lets you party like a pro—at your event, at your place of business, or right in your own backyard.

The 904-inch cooking surface provides balanced heat to keep up with hungry guests. Cook better-tasting steak, chicken, burgers, and ribs (and all that the same time, if you want). Choose customized pellet flavors, made of all-natural wood, to fit the tastes of your guests: hickory, apple, cherry, maple, Master Blend, and more. Add your own personal style with a customized grill design. Contact: www.WoodMaster.com.

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Kamado Joe Grill Gripper Made of durable 304 stainless steel for years of beauty and use, the Grill Gripper securely clamps onto any cooking grate. Avoid the mess and potential burn hazard of moving or repositioning your cooking grate. The Grill Gripper is included free with all Kamado Joe classic grills. Contact: (678) 866-0642 or www.kamadojoe.com.

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marketing M A N E U V E R S

Tasmania Collection The Tasmania collection swivel gliding club chair offers comfort and quality, with a 360-degree swivel base. It is as natural as it is comfortable.

With its crosswoven pattern and a sea-grass touch, it offers the ultimate in design and style. The wicker is handwoven over a rust-free aluminum frame that withstands the hardships of weather. Contact: (866) 919-1881 or www.ratana.com.

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NEW MARKETS Thomas echoes the conclusions of many specialty retailers now emerging from a difficult economy. “People are looking for value and comfort right now, with value still at the top of the list,” he says. “We would like to serve everybody, but my feeling is (as it was with jewelry) that a specialty store caters to a certain audience: a more discerning client, and someone who appreciates the finer finishes and cushions, and the more unusual fabrics.”

Thomas also believes that for any specialty retail store to grow in the future, it needs to attract younger buyers. He says, “This is always a big challenge, in any industry.

Outdoor living is enjoyed by all age groups,

continued from page 26

but unless we prevent that market from going off to the big-box stores or turning strictly to ordering on the Internet, we are going to lose a large segment of our market.”

He adds, “There is no shortage of people in the younger market who line up for the latest electronics, like Apple products or the Kindle. They don’t mind spending money for those products. How do we entice them to spend the money on outdoor furniture?”

The answer is not a simple one. He says, “I think the younger consumers feel very comfortable in a lifestyle store, and not just a specialty one that only carries umbrellas or chaises. They want to go to a place where they love the experience.”

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ad Advertiser

product profiles D I R E C T O RY

INDEX Phone

303 Products ................................(800) Agio ............................................(888) Bella-Dura ......................................(800) Bradford Lifestyles............................(604) California Outdoor Concepts ............(877) Capel Rugs....................................(800) Caravita ........................................(877) Casual Creations ............................(866) Challenger Cabinets........................(574) Couristan ......................................(201) Crest Foam ....................................(201) Crimson Casual ..............................(205) Ebel..............................................(904) Elmira Stove Works ........................(800) Empire Comfort Systems ..................(800) Erwin and Sons ..............................(770) Faulkner Furniture ............................(888) Galtech International........................(805) Gensun Casual Living ......................(866) Glen Raven/Sunbrella ....................(336) The HammockSource ......................(800) Hearth & Home Technologies............(800) Highwood USA ..............................(262) Hitzer............................................(260) Homecrest ....................................(877) Infratech ........................................(800) International Casual Furnishings Association ..................(336) Ironhaus ........................................(866) Kamado Joe ..................................(678) Kingsley-Bate..................................(703) Lennox Hearth Products ....................(800) Lloyd/Flanders................................(906) Merchandise Mart ..........................(800) MLW Stone ..................................(800) Monessen Hearth Systems ................(800) Morsø ..........................................(866) Napoleon Products ........................(800) NorthCape International ..................(708) Outdoor Lifestyle ............................(800) Over and Under ............................(877) OW Lee........................................(800) Patio Renaissance ..........................(866) Plantation Patterns ..........................(888) Poly-Wood ....................................(877) Protégé Casual ..............................(239) Ratana Home and Floral ..................(866) Selkirk Corp. ..................................(800) South Sea Rattan ............................(336) Stone Age Manufacturing ................(877) Summerset Outdoor Living ................(951) Telescope Casual............................(800) Treasure Garden/Shademaker ..........(626) Tropitone ......................................(949) TUUCI ..........................................(305) Whitecraft......................................(800) Wittus ..........................................(914) WoodMaster ................................(800) ZipJack Custom Umbrellas ................(914)

223-4303 997-7623 544-0478 241-1030 274-6773 382-6574 530-8873 355-8523 773-0470 585-8500 807-0809 486-5102 399-2777 295-8498 851-3153 579-0414 441-2708 376-1060 964-4468 221-2211 334-1078 669-4328 501-2580 589-8536 599-4803 421-9455

Website

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..........www.303products.com ....................40 ..........www.agio-usa.com ............................5 ..........www.bella-dura.com..........................45 ..........www.bradfordlifestyles.com ................60 ..........www.californiaoutdoorconcepts.com ....15 ..........www.capelrugs.com..........................59 ..........www.michaelcaravita.com..................69 ..........www.casualcreations.com ..................65 ..........www.challengercabinets.com..............50 ..........www.couristan.com ..........................37 ..........www.ezdri.com ................................22 ..........www.crimsoncasual.com ....................46 ..........www.ebelinc.com ............................57 ..........www.elmirastoveworks.com ................76 ..........www.empirecomfort.com....................31 ..........www.erwinandsons.com ....................49 ..........www.faulknerfurniture.com ..................61 ..........www.galtechcorp.com ......................47 ..........www.gensuncasual.com ......................9 ..........www.sunbrella.com ..........................13 ..........www.thehammocksource.com ............77 ..........www.hearthnhome.com ....................92 ..........www.highwood-usa.com ....................42 ..........www.hitzer.com ................................50 ..........www.homecrest.com ........................56 ..........www.infratech-usa.com ......................11

884-5400 ..........www.icfanet.org ..............................83 880-0900 ..........www.ironhaus.com............................66 866-0642 ..........www.kamadojoe.com........................18 361-7000 ..........www.kingsleybate.com ......................63 9-LENNOX ..........www.lennox.com ................................3 863-4491 ..........www.lloydflanders.com ......................33 677-6278 ..........www.casualmarket.com ....................81 477-7665 ..........www.mlwstone.com ..........................61 867-0454 ..........www.monessenhearth.com ................29 883-9619 ..........www.morsona.com ..........................53 461-5581 ..........www.napoleonproducts.com ................7 563-2890 ..........www.northcapeinternational.com ........55 294-4758 ..........www.olfurniture.com ..........................23 484-2344 ..........www.overrandunderonline.com ..........51 776-9533 ..........www.owlee.com ..............................25 690-5673 ..........www.patiorenaissance.com ................67 446-4766 ..........www.plantationpatterns.com ..............41 457-3284 ..........www.polywoodinc.com ....................74 849-8444 ..........www.protegecasual.com....................73 919-1881 ..........www.ratana.com ..............................19 992-8368 ..........www.selkirkcorp.com ........................91 294-4100 ..........www.southsearattan.com....................35 371-8861 ..........www.stoneagemanufacturing.com........32 684-5090 ..........www.summersetoutdoorliving.com........75 451-0938 ..........www.telescopecasual.com ................43 814-0168 ..........www.treasuregarden.com ............70, 71 951-2010 ..........www.tropitone.com ............................2 634-5116 ..........www.tuuci.com ................................27 790-8677 ..........www.whitecraftinc.net........................17 764-5679 ..........www.wittus.com................................72 932-3629 ..........www.nwmdealer.com ........................30 592-2000 ..........www.zipjackumbrellas.com ................79

Company

Page

303 Products ..........................................................................62, 64 Agio ......................................................................................62, 66 Beachcomber Hot Tubs ............................................................62, 64 Bella-Dura ..............................................................................62, 66 Big Green Egg ........................................................................76, 80 Black & Stone..........................................................................62, 63 Bradford Lifestyles ....................................................................86, 88 Bromic Heating..............................................................................63 California Outdoor Concepts ....................................................64, 70 Capel Rugs ............................................................................62, 68 Caravita ................................................................................63, 70 Casual Creations ....................................................................68, 70 Challenger Cabinets ................................................................63, 68 Couristan................................................................................64, 72 Crest Foam ..................................................................................71 Crimson Casual ............................................................................72 Ebel ......................................................................................64, 72 Elmira Stove Works ..................................................................68, 72 Empire Comfort Systems ............................................................68, 74 Erwin and Sons ......................................................................74, 76 Faulkner Furniture ....................................................................75, 76 Galtech International ................................................................74, 78 Gensun Casual Living ..............................................................75, 78 Glen Raven/Sunbrella ..............................................................75, 78 The HammockSource ................................................................74, 80 Hearth & Home Technologies ....................................................71, 75 Highwood USA ......................................................................77, 85 Hitzer ....................................................................................78, 80 Homecrest ..............................................................................77, 80 Infratech ................................................................................77, 80 Ironhaus ................................................................................79, 80 Kamado Joe ............................................................................78, 89 Kingsley-Bate ..........................................................................79, 83 Lennox Hearth Products ............................................................78, 79 Lloyd/Flanders ........................................................................79, 84 MLW Stone ..................................................................................82 Modern Home Products ..................................................................76 Monessen Hearth Systems ........................................................83, 89 Morsø ....................................................................................68, 87 Napoleon Products ..................................................................82, 86 NorthCape International ............................................................83, 87 Outdoor Lifestyle ......................................................................85, 86 Over and Under ............................................................................71 OW Lee ................................................................................82, 87 Patio Renaissance ....................................................................75, 82 Plantation Patterns ....................................................................84, 87 Poly-Wood..............................................................................85, 89 Protégé Casual ........................................................................84, 86 Ratana Home and Floral ..........................................................85, 89 Selkirk Corp. ..........................................................................62, 86 South Sea Rattan......................................................................64, 68 Stone Age Manufacturing ..........................................................80, 85 Summerset Outdoor Living..........................................................77, 78 Telescope Casual ....................................................................84, 86 Treasure Garden/Shademaker ..................................................79, 88 Tropitone ................................................................................84, 88 TUUCI....................................................................................84, 87 Whitecraft ..............................................................................85, 88 Wittus ....................................................................................85, 88 WoodMaster ..........................................................................87, 89 ZipJack Custom Umbrellas ........................................................64, 66

Patio & Hearth Products Report (ISSN 1939-6929) is published bimonthly by Peninsula Media, 21250 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 700, Torrance, CA 90503. US Postage Paid at Lebanon Junction, KY 40150.

July/August 2011, Vol 6, No 4 © 2011 Peninsula Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Peninsula Media, 21250 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 700, Torrance, CA 90503-5514, patioandhearth@halldata.com, phone: (847) 763-9261. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the materials presented in Patio & Hearth Products Report, they are not responsible for the correctness of the information and/or opinions expressed.

90

Patio & Hearth Products Report July/August 2011

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