La-Z-Boy Signs License Agreement To Market Outdoor & Camping Equipment

Furniture World Magazine

La-Z-Boy Incorporated announced that it has signed a license agreement with NorthPole Limited for the design, manufacture and marketing of hammocks, camping tents, related outdoor leisure products, sleeping bags, innovative screened gazebos, and portable sleep solutions. The collection will debut in key retailers across North America for the 2006 spring season. "NorthPole is the top tent and sleeping bag manufacturer in the world and has a stellar reputation for designing distinctive, high-quality products," said Doug Collier, chief marketing officer, La-Z-Boy Incorporated. "Our strategic direction is to leverage and extend the power of the La-Z-Boy brand into product categories where our core comfort attribute is a primary consumer consideration. We are very enthusiastic, in our first major licensing venture, to be working with NorthPole to provide a range of quality products that extends the La-Z-Boy brand to the outdoors. We firmly believe that today's active consumers are seeking ways to bring the indoors outside -- in partnership with NorthPole, we will focus on delivering comfort, durability and style for the outdoors." "We are very excited to enter into a partnership with La-Z-Boy," said Lisa Napolitano, Global Vice President of Marketing for NorthPole. "Our track record of bringing innovation to camping tents, sleeping bags and other outdoor leisure products will be elevated with the power of the La-Z-Boy brand. Along with the unique items we are developing for the 2006 retail season, our promise on all products that bear the La-Z-Boy brand is to deliver comfort combined with style and a guarantee of quality craftsmanship in each piece." NorthPole Limited is a vertically integrated, global company that offers a unique combination of consumer-driven product development, manufacturing, and delivery of innovative products for home and outdoor use. It is the world's largest camping tent and sleeping bag maker. The privately held company has over 2500 employees worldwide, and its U.S. operations are located in Washington, Missouri. With annual sales of $2 billion, La-Z-Boy Incorporated is one of the world's leading residential furniture producers, marketing furniture for every room of the home and office, as well as for the hospitality, health care and assisted-living industries. The La-Z-Boy Upholstery Group companies are Bauhaus, Centurion, Clayton Marcus, England, La-Z-Boy, La-Z-Boy contract and Sam Moore. The La-Z-Boy Casegoods Group companies are American Drew, American of Martinsville, Hammary, Kincaid, Lea and Pennsylvania House. The corporation's vast proprietary distribution network is dedicated exclusively to selling La-Z-Boy Incorporated products and brand, and includes 330 stand-alone La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries(R) stores and 334 La-Z-Boy In- Store Gallerys, in addition to in-store gallery programs at the company's Kincaid, Pennsylvania House, Clayton Marcus, England and Lea operating units. According to industry trade publication Furniture/Today, the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries retail network by itself represents the industry's fourth largest U.S. furniture retailer and the second largest single source furniture retailer. Additional information is available at http://www.lazboy.com/ .