Goldwood Crossing Offers Consulting Services To Furniture Manufacturers Entering The North American Market

Furniture World Magazine

Goldwood Crossing InternationalSM (www.goldwoodcrossing.com) -- a Growth CatalystSM firm offering consulting services worldwide -- announces the formation of a furnishings division that helps companies face growth challenges and opportunities by providing both strategic and tactical consulting services that bring together senior executive talent through a multidisciplinary approach. Led by Charles L. (Chuck) Haywood -- the former Furniture Division President of Drexel who was also one of the founding partners in Market Square -- GCI's furnishings division is devoted to helping companies face issues such as offshore competition, shrinking workforces, a slowing domestic economy, and the rapidly increasing pace of technological change. "At GCI, we help businesses work through product design, sales, distribution and manufacturing dilemmas by taking a systems approach to the business. We facilitate change and achieve positive, documentable results," Haywood said. Haywood has also held various high level posts with Lane, American Drew and launched several entrepreneurial ventures such as Knob Creek, a furniture and accessory manufacturer that was subsequently sold to Ethan Allen. Haywood will offer his category-specific expertise and unite other Goldwood Crossing International consultants to apply a multi-functional approach to the client's business and thus yield maximum results. With numerous consultants throughout the Southeast, the firm has areas of expertise including business development, finance, marketing, strategic planning, information technology, operations, and organizational development. "This functional expertise coupled with industry-specific leadership is uniquely combined and customized to meet client objectives," Haywood said. "There are many opportunities in the furnishings space and we look forward to serving these business to harvest growth opportunities," said Vicki Sharif, President & CEO of Goldwood Crossing International. "Furthermore, we are delighted to have Chuck Haywood lead this effort. Chuck is well known and respected throughout the furnishings segment and has a unique perspective that will indeed prove useful to our clients," she said. Uniting US and International Companies for Maximum Benefits To help furnishings companies cope with the changing international marketplace, Goldwood Crossing International provides assistance with offshore sourcing, new market penetration, consolidations, showroom sourcing, tradeshows, and other services. "We help U.S- based businesses seeking relationships abroad, and we help foreign businesses develop US-based business," Haywood said. Evaluating the Impact of Technology "In addition to the changing global landscape, the furnishings industry continues to grapple with technology and e-commerce business models. We help them gain clarity about the impact on distribution channels and marketing efforts and enable decision making among the array of complex choices," Haywood said. The furnishings division of Goldwood Crossing International, LLC, is part of the larger Growth CatalystSM firm. Other market emphases include technology, communications, new economy, manufacturing, energy/utilities, and healthcare. Goldwood Crossing International SM is a Growth Catalyst SM consulting firm that provides customized multi-disciplinary solutions for performance challenges by bringing accomplished senior executives together to act as an extension of fiduciary stewardship and offer both strategy and tactical implementation that results in smart growth. For more information e-mail kbohm@mainlinecommunications.com