Capel leads effort to open multi-brand Toronto showroom

Encourages interested vendors to RSVP this week 

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 7/21/2010 12:03:00 PM

Troy, NC — Capel Rugs is spearheading an effort to establish a permanent showroom in a

Toronto design center for a consortium of North Carolina home furnishings

sources.
The showroom in SOFA/Source of Furniture + Accessories, the design center at

Toronto's International Centre, would allow participating companies to work

collectively to tap the export potential in the Canadian market and gain

exposure to the design community, officials said.
Manufacturers interested in learning about the effort are invited to a

meeting in High Point on July 28 at the Chamber of Commerce. Also in

attendance will be representatives of the North Carolina and U.S. departments

of commerce, who are interested in the initiative's potential to create jobs

in the state, Capel said.
Participating companies would share the expenses of managing and marketing a

joint showroom, gaining greater access to the Canadian market at a lower cost

than with individual spaces, officials said.
Members of the consortium will also be provided with assistance in becoming

familiar with the exporting process. Capel, which has been exporting to

Canada for 25 years, will share its experience with other consortium members.
"Exports continue to be a growth opportunity for Capel and we know that by

sharing what we've learned so far, we can create a situation where everyone

benefits," said Bud Young, Capel's vice president of marketing. "We are

excited about this opportunity to work with other manufacturers in North

Carolina to show in a premier space and to elevate manufacturing in our home

state as a whole."
Young said he hopes a permanent showroom, open year-round, could be

established before the next Canadian Home Furnishings Market, which runs Jan.

15-18.
The High Point meeting will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the

Chamber office, 164 N. Main St. Any manufacturers interested in attending

should RSVP by July 23 to Rebecca McMahan at Capel, at (910) 572-7179 or by

e-mail at Rmcmahan@capel.net.
"We are hoping that this meeting will act as a springboard for companies that

are interested in coming together to create an exciting new opportunity,"

said Young. "And this is just the beginning! If we work together, the

potential for growth could be tremendous."
Speakers at the meeting will include Joe Carroll, former Furniture/Today

publisher; Charlie Greene, chairman of North Carolina's Furnishings Export

Council; Mike Padjen, director of the state's Furniture Export Office; and

Danny Lester and Bobby Wertman, representing the SOFA design center.