UNIQUE WHOLESALE ACQUIRES SHEER SUPPLY
Unique Wholesale Distributors, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL, has acquired Sheer Supply, Sarasota, FL. The company now will be referred to as Sheer Supply, a Division of Unique Wholesale Distributors.
With the addition of Sheer Supply, Unique will be meshing the two companies' product offerings to include fabric, additional decorative drapery hardware and workroom supplies. This facility will serve as a wholesale, to-the-trade-only designer showroom as well as an additional warehouse and distribution facility of Unique Wholesale.
Sheer Supply has been serving the window coverings industry for more than 35 years.
WARREN STEVEN DEALERS OFFER
HUNTER DOUGLAS ENERGY REBATE, DESIGNER SHADES
Warren Steven Window Fashions, Minneapolis, MN, is offering consumers an energy savings rebate through the end of February and is promoting Hunter Douglas’ new designer roller shades.
The Energy Efficiency promotion on the Hunter Douglas Duette Architella™ Collection is offered to Centurion, Gallery, Showcase and Priority dealers. A $25 consumer rebate per unit is offered on up to four Duette Architella honeycomb shades until February 28, 2008. Duette Architella honeycomb shades provide a honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb construction, which provides excellent insulation.
Designer Roller Shades have replaced the Hunter Douglas Remembrance® window shades collection. New fabrics and new colors are featured in the collection. A variety of enhanced design options including the cordless lifting system and a dual roller shade application is available.
HUNTER DOUGLAS HONORED BY MARCOM AWARDS
Hunter Douglas, Upper Saddle River, NJ, received five 2007 MarCom Creative Awards, an international competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communications practitioners.
Designing Windows, the iMagine™ online design center tool and the Silhouette® “Life in a Whole New Light” program each garnered Platinum awards, the highest award offered. The “Designing Windows” consumer booklet won in the consumer magazine category. The iMagine Design Center, an online image-rendering tool available on the consumer Web site, www.hunterdouglas.com, won in the Web interactive category. The Silhouette “Life in a Whole New Light” program, a campaign that educated dealers on how to sell premium products and increase unit sales, won in the marketing/promotion campaign category.
Gold Awards were given to the 3-in-1 sales promotion and to the online product videos in the streaming video category.
In its 14th year, the MarCom Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. This year there were thousands of entries from the U.S. and abroad. “We are honored that our marketing efforts have achieved such outstanding recognition,” said Jim Mathews, vice president of corporate marketing.
SUMMERHILL WEEKEND SEWING RETREATS SCHEDULED
Leslie Fehling, owner, Leslie Fehling Designs, Prosperity, PA, has announced a new educational opportunity for workroom professionals, the Summerhill Weekend Sewing Retreats. Three-day classes are held at Summerhill, Fehling’s hilltop Victorian home in western Pennsylvania and feature small-group hands-on learning of specialty embellishment techniques such as trapunto, free motion quilting, tucks, shaped banding, appliqué, and more.
Students complete sample pieces to use as selling tools; and intensive, focused lessons give them the experience and confidence to offer unique, creative detailing to their clients, Fehling stated.
The monthly class schedule offers a combination of instruction, getaway location, accommodations and networking opportunities. For more information, contact Leslie Fehling at fehling@alltel.net.
DECORATE LIFE SLATED FOR
FRANKFURT FAIR AND EXHIBITION CENTRE IN JULY
Decorate Life is a new association of events scheduled for July 4 to 8, 2008, at the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre, Frankfurt, Germany. The event combines Tendence Autumn and Winter, Collectione Preview Spring and Summer and The Design Annual.
Decorate Life will encompass everything to do with the home and furnishing—from furniture, home accessories and textiles, garden furniture and tableware to gift articles, according to Messe Frankfurt, the event producer.
The venue, for the first time, will include all branches of the trade and products for all seasons of the year, Messe Frankfurt stated.
