Bernhardt Licensed To Produce Martha Stewart Signature Case Goods And Upholstery

Furniture World Magazine

Bernhardt Furniture Company announced a multiyear merchandising partnership with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. to manufacture and distribute Martha Stewart Signature upholstery and case goods. To be designed and marketed cooperatively by Bernhardt and MSO, the furniture collection is slated to debut in October 2002 and will be available to select department stores and furniture retailers nationwide early in 2003. "We are extremely pleased and excited about this opportunity," said Alex Bernhardt Sr, Chairman and CEO. "Martha Stewart is the most recognized authority on all things concerning the home." The agreement represents a significant expansion for the Martha Stewart Signature brand, which is MSO's specialty-tier merchandise offering and is focused on a wholistic, total room/total home approach to the decorating process. The Signature brand is positioned above the Martha Stewar Everyday mass-market brand label and is differentiated by price point, ticket sizes and in-store service levels. The Signature brand strategy uses universal cooperative advertisin programs and collateral materials to cross promote the brand across all mid-tier retail outlets irrespective of product offerings. The Bernhardt partnership, along with a second new floor coverings brand program with Shaw Industries, Inc., joins the existing paint palette program at Sherwin-Williams Stores and P/Kaufmann fabric program (launched in 1999 as Martha Stewart Home) available through interior designers and fabric retailers,including Calico Corners. Martha Stewart, Chairman and CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., said, "This expansion of the Martha Stewart Signature brand label represents a significant step toward our goal of empowering specialty-tier consumers to decorate their homes in a thoughtful, comprehensive fashion using our unique approach which begins with Martha Stewart Signature Color Palette paints partnered with Sherwin-Williams, our decorative fabrics line manufactured by P/Kaufmann, and now floor coverings with Shaw, and furniture with Bernhardt." "Consumers," she continued, "will be able to comfortably furnish and decorate room by room, floor to ceiling in an integrated step-by-step program. By combining the quality, reliability, and expertise of our new partners - Shaw and Bernhardt - with MSO's design expertise, knowledge, and brand, we are significantly expanding the solid growth potential of our merchandising segment." Alex Bernhardt said the partnership offers will bring Bernhardt Furniture Company increased visibility among a wider consumer audience. "This is an important initiative which will help to differentiate and strengthen our company," he said. The line represents Bernhardt1s first co-branding venture that marries Bernhardt quality to a name synonymous with good things at home. Founded in 1889, Bernhardt is one of the largest family owned and operated manufacturers of fine wood and upholstered furniture in the U.S. The company's Residential Division manufactures a wide range of traditional,transitional, and contemporary styles at various price points.