American Leather University Graduates 1100th Participant

Furniture World Magazine

American Leather, a design leader and manufacturer of custom upholstered premium leather furniture, announced the eighth consecutive year of American Leather University, making it one of the longest standing sales education programs in the industry. As a quarterly program offered to retail sales staff nationwide, the first 2006 event, which ran March 6-8, marked the participation of the 1100th participant in the program. Specifically, ALU is a two-day event offering an inside perspective to American Leather’s state-of-the-art factory, an opportunity to strengthen skill sets for retailers across the country and a chance to meet the faces of American Leather. In addition, more than 60 participants on average attend each ALU session, and the program is continuing to grow. Whether big or small, many companies send their sales teams to ALU to better understand the products they are selling. During the first day of ALU the participants learn more about the types of leathers and Ultrasuede® covers and how to determine the best grades of leathers for various consumer lifestyles. American Leather executives then lead the groups on a tour through the factory, where participants get hands-on experience on the production floor and learn about American Leather’s state-of-the-art equipment used to make it one of the most efficient factories in the world. American Leather also works with world renowned sales education expert, Richard Tyler. During day two of the program, Tyler presents a motivational sales training program to provide key selling techniques for participants. Through improvisation and specific furniture sales training, participants leave with a refreshed understanding of American Leather products and how to apply their sales techniques in the field. Gayle Short of Tema Contemporary Furniture in Albuquerque, NM experienced ALU for the first time after years of hearing about its beneficial attributes. Leather manager Karlyne Crewse of Robb & Stucky sent several of her staff to this most recent ALU as well. “American Leather University not only provides additional product knowledge to our sales team but also instills the confidence in knowing you are selling quality leather furniture,” says Crewse. “I have attended several factory sponsored training sessions and ALU is the most comprehensive, professional sales building program yet.” According to Bob Duncan, CEO of American Leather, ALU is a chance for American Leather to further extend its service and support commitment to the company’s retail partners. “ALU has been one of the most successful training programs we have initiated as a company – and its success is evident in the continued interest and participation from retailers nationwide. We also look at this program as a prime opportunity to generate feedback from the field and increase our internal knowledge of the industry so that we may continue to grow and better serve our retail partners.” ALU is already filling up for 2006. Participants can register through an American Leather Representative for any of the upcoming programs. The upcoming dates are: May 22-24, August 28-30 and November 13-15. More on American Leather can also be found on their Web site at www.americanleather.com. Founded in 1990, AMERICAN LEATHER is a manufacturer of custom upholstered premium leather furniture, and is recognized as one of the leaders of high quality, custom designed and innovative leather furniture. Its fabric division, au (American Upholstery) was founded in 2003 with the purpose of tapping into the enormous fabric upholstery furniture market, while focusing on the durability and longevity of producing made-to-order furniture that meets the lifestyle demands of today’s busy consumer. The company manufactures and ships its line of contemporary, transitional and traditional leather, Ultrasuede® and fabric upholstery worldwide. AMERICAN LEATHER and au showcase its line in Dallas and at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, NC.