MERSMAN FURNITURE  

Mersman/Waldron participated in the industry

We discussed the industry's future with many leaders

This industry round table for Furniture Today's 10th Anniversary in 1986 featured six of us.

• Will Somers - Mersman/Waldron
• Pat Norton - La-Z-Boy
• Les Flippo - Hickory Furniture
• Tuck Nichols - Nichols & Stone
• Gordon Schiffman - White's - Columbus, OH
• Bill Fenn - LADD Furniture

Some of the dialog was as follows:

From Will Somers:

"Stores to align with several manufacturers"

"There's no question one change will be in the dealership structure. I think the structure will become more similar to the dealer structure the auto manufacturers have, where retail dealers are aligning themselves with a manufacturer."
   "However, if you look at the auto industry, most aggressive car dealer aren't willing to align themselves with only one manufacturer. You're seeing dealers that sell Toyotas and Chevrolets. I think that's the model you're going to see in the furniture industry. We're going to see retailers aligning themselves with several manufacturers, with perhaps a Mersman/Waldron collection, a Henredon collection, maybe a Thomasville collection. I think that's going to be fairly common."
  "In terms of the manufacturer there's no question there will be a continuing shakedown. It just makes sense for that to happen. And in terms of the retail store, there going to be fewer and fewer stores."

From Pat Norton:

'No proof that bigger is better"

"I see continued consolidation both the retail and wholesale level as well as the manufacturing 1evel.   But I think it has yet to be proven whether either can maximize the potential that such consolidation should create."
   "I think there's a distinct possibility that some manufacturers try to move into the retail area, but we don't think that's the way to go. We need the entrepreneurial individual."