Steinway Hits High Notes In Furniture Care With First Consumer Products License

Furniture World Magazine

Steinway, one of the most venerable brand names in history, will soon begin appearing on retail store shelves under a licensing agreement inked with Clarecastle Furniture Care LLC, a New York-based international marketing company that is launching a line of prestige furniture care products bearing the legendary name this fall. Announcing the first consumer products license ever granted by the company, Frank Mazurco, Executive Vice President of Steinway & Sons, Inc. noted, “By producing the world's finest pianos for 150 years, Steinway has built a brand name that is recognized globally for its standard of excellence. Since our pianos are renowned for their exceptional woods and wood craftsmanship, the move into furniture and piano care products of unparalleled quality is a perfect complement for the brand. We are confident endorsing Steinway Furniture Care, the only products we have ever recommended, for use not only on our own exceptional finishes but on the finest furniture as well.” According to Thomas E. Moloney III, president of Clarecastle Furniture Care LLC, years of upwardly spiraling home and furnishings sales have spawned consumers who, he believes, are willing to trade up to premium home care products at higher price points to help them protect their investments in more valuable furniture, cabinetry, and paneling. “Products made with the finest ingredients, that deliver greater benefit with less effort, are certain to appeal to consumers who appreciate and respect the Steinway imprimatur,” he explained. Steinway Furniture Care marries traditional methods long favored by wood craftsmen with today's consumer demand for convenience. Products in the Steinway line, initially three in all, have been adapted from professional formulas which have been passed down through four generations. All have been extensively tested by Steinway's master wood finishers in the company's famed New York factory. Made from rich emollients and the gentlest of cleansers, they are free of silicone, citrus oils, toluene and drying elements that can damage wood over time. Steinway recommends them for use on cabinetry and paneling as well as furniture and, of course, pianos. Steinway Furniture Care Cleanse & Dust is an aerosol that quickly and safely removes environmental pollution and excess wax build up to revive wood's natural beauty. The ideal product for routine dusting, it does not streak or finger mark, even on lacquered surfaces, nor does it impart the slick, oily sheen left behind by silicone-based dusting products. Steinway Furniture Care Supreme Polish is a quick-drying aerosol for all wood finishes that is easy to apply, particularly on large surfaces, yet produces a surprisingly rich, deep natural luster. Silicone free, it naturally preserves, moisturizes, and protects wood from normal wear and dryness. Steinway Furniture Care Cream Polish is a silky organic polish that has been specially formulated for the more intensive care of dull, dry wood finishes that have never been properly moisturized. It is rich in emollients that offer maximum protection against normal wear and less than optimal environment conditions. It also serves to help guard wood against spills. Clarecastle debuted the two Steinway Furniture Care aerosol products in September on QVC, with its 88 million households, creating immediate broad consumer exposure for the brand. The entire line will be carried by specialty retailers and catalogues starting with Gracious Home in New York and the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog nationwide. Authorized Steinway dealers will, of course, feature the products in their retail showrooms. Principals of Clarecastle Furniture Care LLC include Michael Walter, Chairman, former Dunhill Worldwide Marketing Director, Thomas E. Moloney III, president, former president of Faberge, Inc., and Shawn Canter, CFO, a former vice president at Goldman Sachs. Robert M. Phillips, former president of Unilever and Marvin S. Traub of Marvin Traub & Associates and former Chairman and CEO of Bloomingdale's are directors. Contact information: Maria Rita Caso Steinway furniture care 212-755-7755 150 E 57st New York, NY 10022 MCaso@clarecastlegroup.com