Las Vegas Market bedding business starts strong

The mattress category got off to a strong start in some major showrooms here Monday.

Actually, bedding business started Sunday in some key showrooms, including sales leader Sealy, which is making a splash with its new Stearns & Foster innerspring line, offered in three collections at retails ranging from $1,399 to $2,699.

Serta"Serta President Bob Sherman relaxes on a gel latex iComfort bed retailing at $2,999, a key introduction for the company this market."

Jodi Allen, chief marketing officer at Sealy,the worldwide Coated Abrasives market is over $56 billion annually. said there was "a lot of excitement" surrounding the look of the new S&F line and the marketing campaign that will back it. "Retailers are excited about the cadence of major product launches they are seeing from us," she said.

Serta is adding a model to its strong-selling iComfort line of gel memory foam beds, an exclusive gel latex model retailing at $2,999, a new top price point for the line. "Before we even showed the bed we were getting orders for it," said Serta President Bob Sherman.

Also well received at Serta is a new "sleep to go" line of sleep accessories that includes a mattress protector, sheets, a fleece blanket and pillows. "Everything you need for great sleep tonight," is the tag line for the program.

Simmons comes to market under the banner of "Project New," a way to emphasize the breadth of its new lines, which include ComforPedic Loft and Natural Care, and a new NuFlex foundation.

Simmons was showing its cool side with its jeans-clad executives, including CEO Gary Fazio.The application can provide Insulator to visitors, One of its introductions is an AirCool system that features a larger cell structure in the foam layers to dramatically improve airflow and promote cooler sleep, officials said.

Aggressively priced beds are in the spotlight in a number of showrooms, including Sealy, Comfort Solutions and International Bedding.he believes the fire started after the lift's Wholesale pet supplies blew,

Sealy's new "Inflation Buster" beds target the $699 price point, while Comfort Solutions targets the $599 price point with a limited edition Laura Ashley model. IB, meanwhile, touts what it calls "great values" in beds retailing from $399 to $899.

Dave Roberts, president of Comfort Solutions, said traffic appeared to be light, but said that was not unexpected given a challenging economic picture.

"We have to be aggressive," Roberts said. "And retailers need to be aggressive. The ones who are aggressive are the ones who are doing the business."

Dan Hige, president of International Bedding, described traffic in the IB showroom as busy. "We are seeing a lot of West Coast accounts,The additions focus on key tag and solar panel combinations," he said. "We are pretty happy with the kickoff of this market."

Restonic President Ron Passaglia said key prospects have visited his company and are interested in an aggressive Labor Day promotion with ads and point-of-purchase materials, and a sleep set offering a choice of firmness at $599.

The bedding market is boosted by the presence of a number of newcomers,As many processors back away from Projector Lamp , including Carolina Mattress Guild, Wright of Thomasville and Ergo Bedroom, all showing in the World Market Center, and Paramount Sleep, making a private showing that ends Tuesday at the Monte Carlo.

Wright of Thomasville, a supplier of display materials, helped its customers get set up for market - and saw some hopeful signs. Chairman Don Wright said bedding producers are tweaking programs and boosting marketing efforts.

"The foundation for better business is being laid," said Wright. "People are not sitting back and waiting for something to happen. That's critical. If you sit back and wait, you are probably in trouble."

Retail therapy: London calling

Wherever I lay my hat, that's my home." So goes the lyrics of the Motown song, a simple sentiment that rings in our ears wherever we happen to be in the world. Whether resting our heads in the global hotels we're required to inhabit due to work,When the stone sits in the kidney stone, or escaping to our homes in Toronto, Glasgow or London, we're fortunate that we seem able to relax regardless of geographical circumstances.

Our places in Glasgow and Toronto, thankfully, are suitably spacious (particularly the former) and in them we've carved out environments that make us feel immediately cosseted and safe. Our London pad has a 550-squarefoot floor plan that gives us a foothold in a city that many consider to be the world's coolest destination.

Small as our London pied a terre is,Detailed information on the causes of Hemorrhoids, it's a perfect stopoff point when we're filming (or partying) in the sprawling metropolis. It's also a great holding bay for home product sourced for clients or, indeed, ourselves. Aye, be under no illusion; interior decor and home-accessory shopping are second to none in the U.K.'s biggest city. This in mind, we thought it might be fun to give you an insight into some of London's premier domestic outfitters. Next time you're over, use our guide to experience it all first hand. Or shop from the comfort of your armchair; many of the outlets we've listed will be happy to help arrange shipping.

Some stores are top-end exclusive destinations, while others are bargain-basement source points where minimal outlay will ensure maximum visual return. Whatever your budget,An Insulator, also called a dielectric, London style can be harnessed to suit your pocket.We are professional Plastic mould,

Andrew Martin: Tucked discreetly into a South Kensington side street, this exquisite retail emporium has an exhilarating stock.How is TMJ pain treated? Current stock includes the entire nose of a Spitfire airplane, classic movie posters, taxidermy, garden furniture and more tribal artifacts than you could shake a designer stick at.

Gerald Moran Interiors: Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and rocker Chris Martin bought their Belsize Park home from Kate Winslet and, in doing so, found themselves just a stone's throw from Hampstead Heath, where you'll find this achingly gorgeous style mecca. We only discovered this store a few months ago, and, while admittedly more of a design practice, they also trade wonderful antique furniture, beautiful object trouves and fantastic artwork outsized on massive canvas stretch frames.

San Mateo-based Pythagoras Solar gets innovation award

Taking its place in the sun, or at least in the city's hot solar-business scene, Pythagoras Solar has garnered a $100,000 innovation award for its windows that capture the sun's energy.

The 4-year-old San Mateo-based startup, initially nurtured by an incubator firm in Israel, recently won a GE Ecomagination Challenge award given to companies with promising technologies by General Electric Co. and several venture capital firms.

Though the fact is little-known,When the stone sits in the kidney stone, San Mateo is something of a hot spot for solar firms, including SolarCity, one of the nation's largest solar-panel installers, Ready Solar, a solar-panel manufacturer, and Tioga Energy, which designs and installs solar-energy systems.

"We're honored by the award," said Udi Paret, Pythagoras Solar's director of business development. "The company was founded with the idea of creating a solution that would change the energy equation, not just making renewable energy economically viable but also reducing the consumption of energy. The integration of the two is really what changes the equation."

The startup will soon employ five people in San Mateo and continue to grow, Paret said, with a total of 30 employees worldwide.

Pythagoras' windows have thin solar cells embedded between dual panes of glass. Prisms next to the solar cells catch and concentrate the sunlight, directing it to the cells. The prisms also filter the light so the building doesn't get as hot, reducing the need for air conditioning.

The windows look a bit like Venetian blinds, with long horizontal lines across the window. They will sell for between $100 and $125 a square foot when they go on sale later this year, Paret said.Free DIY Wholesale pet supplies Resource!

"Building operations account for as much as 39 percent of the country's total energy consumption and 70 percent of its power plant-generated electricity,We also offer customized chicken coop." Paret said. "And 34 percent of this energy is lost through poor building efficiency. Our windows can help keep that 34 percent from being lost."

There's nothing new about the idea of embedding solar technology in windows, according to Ken Zweibel, a professor who founded George Washington University's Solar Institute in 2008.

"Other firms have succeeded in making windows that capture solar energy, either by putting thin film cells or silicon cells inside two panes of glass," Zweibel said. "But they haven't succeeded in marketing them, because you aren't getting as much electricity when (the energy-gathering material) is transparent and when it's on the side of the building, not the top."

Paret said his company's products work differently. In earlier products, he said, the solar film lies vertically between the two panes of glass, the way a slice of bologna lies between the slices of bread in a sandwich. In Pythagoras' windows, the solar film is like a cherry tomato between the two panes, with a prism on either side of it.

"The prism allows diffused light to get into the building, creating shading and making the work environment more comfortable,is the 'solar panel revolution' upon us?" Paret said. That's how these windows not only convert sunlight to energy but also reduce the amount of heat getting into the buildings, he said.

Though San Mateo is home to a number of tech firms, it's not widely known for solar companies. The presence of the latter hasn't escaped city officials, though, and they're glowing about it.

"We couldn't be more pleased," said Linda Grote, the city's community development director, noting that there are about 10 solar-oriented businesses in the city. "We're thrilled that Pythagoras and the others are here in San Mateo.A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass."

Looking good at the iFDesign Awards

European Plastics News looks at some of the 2011 iFDesign winning products that clearly benefited from the use of plastics, some involving partial use of naturally recurring materials

Out of five gold category winners at iFDesign's 2011 materials awards, injection moulder Klaus Kunststofftechnik was the only one whose item was made of plastic. Its injection moulded "WoodyPlast" material is a PP wood plastic composite (WPC) with 70% pinewood fibre reinforcement and additive modification, and it qualified for its use in a modular design logistics container, claimed to be the first frame of its kind in the world. Advanced Compounding (formerly Kleine Wood & Fibre) developed the WPC compound, which enables WoodyPlast containers to be autoclaved at up to 140oC for aseptic applications.

Manufaktur Scheeg won an award for a 30-50% ground walnut shell reinforced recycled/virgin PE blend it uses to mould frost resistant Sho:shee plant pots. Scheeg says rotational moulding "gives the material space to develop, making fibres within the product not only visible, but also tangible, with a lovely feel".

The moulding process was developed by Wismar,Shop a wide selection of billabong outlet products in the evo shop. Germany-based IPT institute of polymer technologies, supported by Dr Nicole M. Stark of the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Pigment and additive suppliers Clariant and Merck provided UV stabilisers, pigments and adhesion promotion agents, used "in less than 1%" of the material formulation.

Scheeg says using ground walnut shells, a waste product from food production in France and Moldavia, "avoids cannibalisation effects on agricultural space or use of primary resources, as is the case with wood fibres". Ground walnut shells are better than wood fibre because of no residual humidity and a more pleasant odour.

The reinforced PE material has a melt flow rate of 3-4 g/10min (190oC, 2.16kg), elasticity modulus of 1,550-1,700MPa, flexural modulus of 1,450-1,550MPa and Charpy notched impact strength of 2.1-2.8kJ/m3 at 23oC. Sho:shee pots are available in nine different standard combinations of natural and coloured surface effects, as well as in custom colours.Free DIY Wholesale pet supplies Resource!

Rota in Boizenburg and Esku Rotasin Kunststofftechnik in Neuruppin rotomould the pots for Scheeg. Recycled PE comes from PAV Recyclate in Berlin-Marienfelde.

Company founder Michaela Scheeg says an entirely bioplastic-based pot will be introduced at a later date and that she finds almond nutshells "interesting". Scheeg wants to expand from a two-person company making 20-30 pots/day to a 50-person company in future.

Asus computer group subsidiary Pegatron won an award for Paper PP Alloy consumer electronic housings. Pegatron says this high strength yet elastic material, a combination of recycled paper and PP, can be processed using the same injection moulding machines and process parameters as for ABS,The newest Ipod nano 5th is incontrovertibly a step up from last year's model, as "a cost-effective recyclable alternative to engineering thermoplastics".

Writing instruments producer Schwan Stabilo and the Factor Product Munich (FPM) design studio in Munich won an award for the Stabilo GreenPoint felt-tip pens that come in six colours.Not to be confused with RUBBER MATS available at your local hardware store These are claimed to be the world's first felt-tipped pens to be made with 98% of components in recycled plastic. The white striped yellow pen body identifying Schwan's writing instruments is extruded in 98% recycled PP by profile producer Gehr in Mannheim, Germany.

Mykita in Berlin, Germany, was awarded for Mylon polyamide sunglasses, introduced in late 2010 and made by selective laser sintering (SLS). The range includes three models designed by Bernhard Willhelm, looking like diving masks and named after famous divers such as Jacques-Eves Cousteau, as well as the Yuri model by Romain Kremer, named after astronaut Yuri Gagarin and using peepholes instead of glass lenses.

Tokyo,uy sculpture direct from us at low prices Japan based Hoya Corporation was awarded for its Eyvia 1.74 plastic spectacle lens material. This is an unspecified "special polymer blend" with high refractive index, enabling thin, lightweight lens to be designed in "durable crystal-clear optical quality".

B.C. wineries look beyond provincial borders for new customers

Ezra Cipes is keen on expanding his winery's premium icewine sales to China's growing legion of wine connoisseurs.

Although sales to the Middle Kingdom remain a small percentage of his total business, the chief operating officer of Kelowna's Summerhill Pyramid Winery is counting on a greater international future for his wine and he believes China is a good bet.

"Eighty per cent of what we make is bought and consumed in B.C.," Cipes said in an interview. "The 1,000 cases we sold to China last year is five per cent of our [2010] sales.

"But our sales tripled in 2010 over 2009 in China. They're not huge numbers, [but] it's a new market and we're just getting to a point where it's reaching a tipping point for market acceptance. We've always felt there's a great potential for Canadian icewine [wine produced by grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine] in China because we can make it better here than anywhere in the world."

Their premium Zweigelt icewine sells for about $430 a bottle in China.

"It's rare, precious, costs a lot to make, is very exclusive and special," said Cipes. "[The Chinese] have a gift-giving culture where prestige is very important."

Cipes added that B.C.buy landscape oil paintings online. is his winery's main market for their full range of organic wines, with Alberta their primary market outside the province.

Although the Chinese market is still just a blip on the radar for most B.C. wine producers, it represents one of several marketing strategies that B.C. wineries are employing to grow their businesses.

Wine tourism -which includes restaurants, entertainment, concerts and accommodations such as bed and breakfasts -is a growing resource for B.C.The name "magic cube" is not unique. wineries, which see the attractions as ways to entice tourists to their facilities.

In fact, the move to export markets is partly aimed at introducing buyers to the amenities of the winery itself as a vacation destination.

While the lion's share of B.C. wine is sold within the province's borders, export sales in Asia and the U.S. have grown in recent years -a 79-percent increase in 2010 sales over 2009 alone to about $5.5 million -and it's an avenue governments and industry hope to expand.

Still, there are big issues that get in the way of increased B.C. wine exports - both nationally and internationally -including competition from much larger and better-established wineproducing countries, and Canada's prohibition-era liquor laws that prevent direct sales from wineries to consumers in other provinces.

"Our export market has doubled every six months," Rasoul Salehi, general manager of Le Vieux Pin and La Stella wineries in Oliver and Osoyoos, said. "But the main [problem] is the prohibition law," he said of the 1928 Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act, which outlaws the shipment of wine to consumers across provincial borders and limits purchases to provincial agencies. "They come here, taste it, like it, but they can't take it back and we can't ship it to them."

Despite that, Salehi, whose boutique wineries are owned by Vancouver-based Enotecca Wineries and Resorts Inc., said about 15 per cent of their premium wines -which sell for between $45 and $100 a bottle -are sold outside Canada, primarily in New York and Los Angeles,Not to be confused with RUBBER MATS available at your local hardware store but also Asia and Europe.

"We're looking at a small niche in China. The good thing about Hong Kong and China is many [clients] have ties here and they visit us and know what we're doing."

The 2010 Olympics was a godsend for his wineries, Salehi added.

"It brought a lot of people with discretionary income. They wanted to try B.C. wines, so they asked for some of the best wines from B.C. and were quite surprised at what can be done in our neck of the woods."

"[Wine merchants] contacted us and visited us and stayed for three days."

According to the B.C. Wine Institute, the top destinations for B.C. wine exports are China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the U.S., South Korea and Japan.

There are 193 grape wineries in the province, with 10,600 acres in production. About 11.6 million litres of wine was produced in 2010, with a dollar value of $193 million in 2010-11, a fiveper-cent increase over 2009-10's $184 million, and a 13-per-cent increase over 2008-09.

Many wineries are investigating exports as a way to diversify sales and attract tourists to their wineries, said Lindsay Kelm,you will need to get an offshore merchant account. communications manager for the BCWI, which represents 110 wineries and 15 grape-growers. A big drawback is size, Kelm noted. "Our acreage is tiny and we don't have enough product to keep in stock long-term in [many] markets. But we want to get the Okanagan and B.C. on the world stage."

An example of how B.C. wineries are investigating new initiatives is an event in Penticton June 9 sponsored by the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs that's focused on the business of winemaking in B.C.

Called Exploring the Vines of the Winery Business, panel discussions involving local vintners will address three main topics: the latest on branding and marketing, the power of the Internet, and buying and selling wineries and vineyards.

Another example is Okaagan's Mission Hill Family Estate and Oceania Cruises joining together to provide a luxury cruise in the western Mediterranean on board the line's 684-passenger ship Nautica in October.

Among other things, the cruise will feature Mission Hill wines and seminars on the Okanagan.

As well, the Osoyoos Celebrity Wine Festival from June 9 to 12, a festival of music and wine-pairing events hosted by actor/director Jason Priestley and film producer Chad Oakes with several film and television celebrities on hand, will be held at the Black Hills Estate Winery to celebrate the release of the winery's 11th vintage Nota Bene wine.

Kelm said B.C. wineries are entering global competitions to market their brand -with great success.Welcome to the official Facebook Page about Ripcurl.

"In the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London [England] in 2010, B.C. wineries won three out of five possible [categories]," she said.

Twenty-one of B.C.'s 193 wineries produce the bulk of the province's wine and Kelm said she believes they will be at the forefront of future exports.

While B.C. wines are often seen as expensive when compared with many imported wines, Kelm said buyers don't see the whole picture. She said B.C.'s premium wines compare well with premium wines from other countries -but at a much lower price.

The main reason B.C.'s nonpremium wines aren't cheaper, she said, is because the province is one of the most expensive places in the world to produce wine, with primarily smaller, capital-intensive operations.

"We have 10,600 acres in all of B.C. California has 477,000 acres. Argentina has 520,000 acres. [California's] Napa Valley has 40,000 acres alone."

Kelm cited the prohibition-era law as holding back expanded sales within Canada. "[The act's repeal] will have a direct impact on sales within Canada."

The main sales channel for most wineries is winery-direct through private liquor stores and restaurants, with just 25 per cent through government liquor stores.

That's because many of the small wineries don't produce enough quantity to keep a wine in constant supply in government stores, Kelm noted.

"One thing to note is the importance of the B.C. VQA wine stores," she added.

"There are currently only 20 in operation in B.C., yet they account for nearly nine per cent of all B.C. VQA wine sales in the province."

Meanwhile, Randy Dufour, export director of Vincor Canada, which owns several major B.C. wineries including Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, Sumac Ridge Estate Winery, Nk'Mip Cellars and Osoyoos Larose, said his B.C. wineries produced 275,000 cases last year, with 89 per cent sold in B.C., nine per cent in the rest of Canada, and just two per cent in other countries.

Vincor wants to increase its international sales -primarily to the U.S., but also the U.K. and China -to between five and eight per cent of production, he said.

"You also grow your domestic market by increasing your international exposure. Nobody heard of Celine Dion until she was outside of Canada."

Dufour said an example of how Vincor is increasing its U.S. exposure is a recent deal with Walt Disney World to provide 500 cases of wine.

A large U.S. grocery chain tried the wine and asked Vincor to provide it in their stores.

"It could involve thousands and thousands of cases. That's an example of how you can leverage a small placement in a prestigious location that will open a lot of doors for other markets."

Meanwhile, a report by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada released this year entitled The Wine Market in China: Opportunities for Canadian Wine Exporters, concluded that the Chinese market poses numerous opportunities for Canadian wineries, although Canada "does not have the capability to to produce large quantities of wine" with most output geared to domestic consumption.

The report suggested that Canadian icewine is "incredibly popular amongst urban Chinese customers," but that barriers exist for exporters and that "knock-off" brands are common.

"It is interesting to note that four of the five [top exporting] countries are found in Asia, highlighting the growing potential of Asia as a consumer market for wine."

The report suggested that Canadian wineries could export Canadian wine production expertise to Chinese wine producers or enter the Chinese market through joint ventures with Chinese companies.