Stanley Furniture's Young America Brand Introduced In China

Furniture World Magazine

At a time when more and more U.S. furniture brands are moving their manufacturing operations offshore, especially to China, Vietnam and other Asian countries, Stanley Furniture Company has expanded its efforts to officially begin selling Young America products throughout China. On June 10, 2008, Stanley Furnitureʼs Vice President of International Sales and Special Markets, Brad Miller along with Chinese Sales Representative and Furniture Retailer, Clare Zhang, hosted the “Love Young America” press conference in Cofco Plaza in Beijing to further communicate the brandʼs international business objectives. Chinese media contacts from various television stations, design trade publications, newspapers and magazines were invited to attend the conference. According to Mr. Miller, the conference was organized as a forum to officially introduce the infant and youth furniture brand, formally debut the Young America product line, differentiate Young America from other infant and youth brands currently available in China and highlight the availability of the product line at various retail locations across the country. “First and foremost, we wanted the press conference to serve as a vehicle to establish the credibility and history of the brand and Stanley Furniture Company since its founding in 1924,” said Miller. Miller went on to explain the conferenceʼs role in differentiating the Young America brand from other infant and youth furniture lines in China. “We used the conference to emphasize Young Americaʼs key brand tenets - safety, quality and functionality through the concept of ʻBuilt to Grow ™ ʼ. Safety is one of the primary concerns among Chinaʼs upper class, largely the market purchasing these products. Plus, Young Americaʼs products transform over the lifetime of the child, so it makes sense that investment in quality, timeless furniture has become a key selling attribute to Chinese parents.” In addition to representing Stanley Furniture in China, the conference also highlighted Clare Zhang as the brandʼs leading retailer of Young America products in the country. When asked to comment about her retail locations in Beijing, Zhang said, “All three showrooms feature the Young America product lines along with well trained sales staff capable of articulating the ʻBuilt to Growʼ story as well as the safety benefits of the brand.” The conference successfully introduced the Young America brand to the Chinese market further solidified Stanley Furniture Companyʼs position as a global player - not as an importer of Chinese goods, but rather as an exporter of quality, American-made residential wood furnishings. “Chinese consumers are very interested in brands,” Miller added, “especially those fromAmerica. What makes the Young America story so powerful and unique is that the majority of the products are actually produced in the USA. This attribute truly separates Young America product lines from other competitors in the Chinese marketplace today.” Young America is the home furnishings industryʼs leading brand of infant, youth and second bedroom furniture produced by Stanley Furniture Company. One of the largest domestic residential wood furniture manufacturers in the United States, Stanley Furniture Co., Inc. is widely recognized as a style and design leader. The company has received 11 coveted Pinnacle Awards for fine quality residential wood furniture, ranging from traditional to contemporary. Stanley Furnitureʼs adult wood residential collections are presented for every room of the home and include dining, bedroom, home entertainment, accents, and home office. Founded in 1924, Stanley Furniture® has a strong tradition of superior product supported by excellent quality and service. The shipment of orders to retail stores – an average of two weeks or less – is among the fastest in the industry. Production facilities are located in Stanleytown, Va., and Robbinsville, N.C. Young Americaʼs upper-medium priced furniture is sold to juvenile specialty stores, small furniture stores, department stores and furniture store chains as well as online retailers. Stanley Furniture® commonstock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol STLY. For additional information, visit youngamerica.com.###