HomePortfolio.com Attracts Top-Tier Industry Advisory Council

Furniture World Magazine

HomePortolio.com, a leading Internet destination for the best in home design, today announced the formation of an Industry Advisory Council composed of influential and forward-thinking leaders from the home design industry. HomePortfolio Industry Advisory Council members are nationally known interior designer Juliana M. Catlin; Joel Kaplan, former director of trend merchandising with the home division of Dayton-Hudson and other department stores; Clive Lubner, chief executive officer of the furniture retailer Robb & Stucky; Ann Maine, editor-in-chief of Meredith Corporation's Renovation Style magazine; Richard C. Marcus, investor and former CEO at Neiman Marcus; Waterworks CEO Peter Sallick; and noted author/architect Sarah Susanka. The council will guide HomePortfolio on the future of home design and the role the Internet can play in enhancing convenience, choice and quality for the consumer seeking to create her dream home. The council will hold its inaugural meeting in early March. "Members of our Advisory Council will provide HomePortfolio with leading indicators of trends in the home design industry," said Dale Williams, chief executive officer of HomePortfolio.com. "The perspective of these industry leaders will be invaluable as HomePortfolio works with home design companies to meet the needs of today's time-starved, tech-savvy consumers." The council will also offer feedback on HomePortfolio's e-Business Solutions program, which provides manufacturers and retailers with Web-based tools to create, manage and respond to consumer demand. HomePortfolio is the only home design Internet company that supplies the content to capture consumer interest and the technology to convert that interest into sales Members of the Advisory Council are: Juliana M. Catlin, president of Catlin Interiors Inc.: Catlin, immediate past president of the American Society of Interior Designers, heads up commercial and residential design services for her Jacksonville, Florida-based interior design firm, Catlin Interiors Inc. The company was voted #1 Design Firm by Jacksonville Magazine, and has recently been featured in Interior Design Magazine, Southern Accents and Southern Living. Joel Kaplan, home industry consultant: Recently retired as the director of trend merchandising for the home division of Dayton's, Marshall Field's and Hudson's stores, Kaplan is now leveraging his expertise on trend forecasting, product development and merchandising as a consultant. A recipient of the Hometex Award and the 2000 Home Fashion Products Association Paradigm Award, Kaplan will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the F.I.T. annual scholarship brunch in April 2001. Clive Lubner, CEO of Robb & Stucky: Under Lubner's visionary leadership, Robb & Stucky, a southeastern furniture retail group, has combined innovative marketing techniques with the highest quality customer service. He is a pioneer in visual merchandising by lifestyle display instead of gallery merchandising by manufacturer. Lubner's work was recently celebrated by Furniture/Today magazine when it bestowed its prestigious 2000 Retailer of the Year award on Robb & Stucky. Lubner was also named Retailer of the Year by the National Home Furnishings Association. Ann Maine, editor-in-chief of Renovation Style: Maine's editorial guidance at Renovation Style has helped introduce a revolutionary philosophy that combines the realities of residential renovation with an upscale, but achievable, design aesthetic. Maine has nearly 20 years experience as an editor and staff member at such publications as Traditional Home, Country Home and Country Gardens. Richard C. Marcus, former CEO of Neiman Marcus: Marcus spent 28 years in the high fashion specialty retail industry with his family's business, Neiman Marcus, serving as CEO from 1979-1988. Since leaving Neiman Marcus, he has been an advisor and investor in several companies that are building new businesses through the Internet. Today he serves as a director in three public companies: Zale Corporation, Michaels Stores, and Fashionmall.com. He is also a director of Waterworks Inc. Peter Sallick, president and CEO of Waterworks: Sallick joined Waterworks in 1993 and has helped to establish the family-run company as the premier brand for fully integrated bath design. Combining the business acumen of a former career in finance with a strong design sensibility and passion for quality materials, Sallick invented a modern company with a classical, atelier philosophy. The result is a level of excellence both in product and in service that remains unrivaled in the bath industry. Sarah Susanka, award-winning architect and best-selling author: A cultural visionary, author/architect Susanka is a leader of a movement that is redefining the American home. Today her "build better, not bigger" approach to residential architecture - described in her popular book, The Not So Big House - is embraced by homeowners, architects and builders across the country. U.S. News & World Report featured her as one of 18 innovators in American culture in 1998, and Newsweek profiled her among the top newsmakers of 2000. About HomePortfolio.com: HomePortfolio.com, the leading Internet destination for the best in home design, helps people envision and create their dream homes. HomePortfolio.com offers consumers the world's largest database of home design products, online portfolios for saving and organizing favorites, and information about where to buy the products in stores or online. HomePortfolio.com helps manufacturers, retailers and design professionals connect with consumers with a suite of e-Business Solutions created especially for the home design industry.