Love this forum, been lurking and learning for a while now.
My wife and I have been to a lot of stores lately to check out sofas and chairs... not surprisingly most do not fit the bill for whatever reason. An exception is this Henredon sofa
http://www.henredon.com/collectionde...21&img=H2000_C
We love the looks, it is very comfortable, deep cushions (which we've gotten used to and find hard to give up) and from what I could tell decent quality for $2500 or so. Clean and somewhat contemporary, in my view at least.
Now the bad: I'm not thrilled with their fabrics, but I am REALLY not thrilled with it being made in China. I am also surprised Henredon states essentially nothing about their quality/construction methods on their website, making it tough to know if it is well made, just in another country, or decently made and will not last.
If I could find something that looks pretty much identical, with good fabric choices, made in the US and made the right way, for under 3k retail I would love to hear about it. Taylor King ticks a lot of those boxes but I only have 1 dealer even remotely close to me and they are a very small store with not much selection.
Thoughts on Henredon's sofa quality since moving manufacturing to China? Any opinions on other US based manufacturers to seek out? Thanks in advance.
I can't tell you about Henredon made in China per se, but I can tell you that particular sofa is a dead ringer for Hancock and Moore's 9503 Kodiak series (a top seller) that is made in the USA and done right. It's part of H&M's promotional Town and Country program and available in leather or fabric. You can get the Group 1 fabrics right at that mid-$ 2K price point, and the upper tier fabrics in the promo still under your top figure.
I will not buy goods from China for my store. End of story. I have both quality concerns and patriotic issues with doing so.
<soap box>. Watching VP Joe Biden over there this week with his hat in his hand telling the Chinese we will honor our Countries debts to them while at the same time the US Georgetown Hoya Basketball team was humiliated and run out off the court with violence from the Chinese basketball team and fans was too much. The message is clear. Keep buying from China and the USA will eventually be owned by the Chinese. I paid $ 130 for a pair of New Balance running shoes this week because they said MADE IN THE USA. Costs more, but keeping jobs here is important, and they're damn fine shoes to boot. And when they wear out I'll buy another as long as they say MADE IN USA. <off soap box>.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
Definitely, you should go with the H&M. You won't have to buy another sofa for 20 years--maybe ever.
(As for your soapbox, Duane: I'm on it with you. A German friend of mine told me that over 90% of all German manufacturing and jobs remain in Germany, because the tax penalty for offshoring is too steep to do otherwise. They've also infused their economy with "green" industry/jobs. And some Scandinavian countries have shot past Germany in economic strength. ALL things we should be doing, but don't--and won't, probably. Just tragic. Anyway, I'm at the point now where I, too, always look for MADE IN USA. I think a lot of people are, because you see that displayed prominently, more and more, in catalogues.)
I buy SAS shoes for same reason. Still made in USA in TX...expensive but I know my dollars are going into another American pocket. I've started doing the same thing at the grocery store...surely do not want any food from China or anywhere other than USA. If we (USA) don't have it, I don't get it.
I am seeing a definite trend in people interested in buying things that are Made in America. Last week I decided to drop my 2 lines of imported cotton fabrics and am switching to an American mill using American grown cotton that uses a special eco-friendly dyeing process. By electrostatically charging the cotton fibers, it attracts the dye more efficiently producing more vibrant colors while using half as much electricity and water.
After being hit with a 30% price increase last month on the imported cotton fabrics, the eco-friendly American cottons were only $2/yd. more. I will have to raise the price of my sofas by $50 but I think the majority of my customers would consider that a reasonable price to pay for the opportunity to buy American (and save the Earth.)
It is difficult to find reasonably priced American fabrics. Most of the mills just don't exist anymore. These American grown cottons will be the most expensive fabrics that I stock and are the second line of American fabrics that I have bought. The first line, from Microfibres Inc. which has mills in Winston-Salem, NC and Providence, RI is currently my most expensive line of fabrics and is also my best selling line of fabrics.
Jeff Frank
Simplicity Sofas
Jeff, I think if you put a little American Flag on your sales media showing those are USA made, you will find almost every customer willing to pay the extra $ 50 for it. I personally wouldn't hesitate to drop another $ 50 for it, in fact i would be glad to do so. I'm seeing a massive trend towards domestic made as well, you can't go wrong with that strategy. I think most everyone knows that given the opportunity to buy USA vs China its important to keep the work and jobs at home. Like you said, there are so few American mills left you will always have the Chinese product they can select from if they have to absolutely go to the bottom dollar.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
If anyone is interested, this is what Henredon custy service states as far as sofa construction (for the Fireside collection at least). I find their choice of words interesting.
Our sofa frames are made from beech and mahogany solids and the frames are kiln dried. The corners are blocked, screwed, glued and either doweled or have locking tendons. Our Spring Blendown cushion core is an individually pocketed marshall unit composed of coils that are barrel shaped and nested. These coils are laminated top and bottom inside a ¾” thick polyurethane enclosure. The unit is covered in UFAC approved down proof ticking that is sewn into channels and filled with blendown. Our Fireside sofa frames utilize the eight way hand tied spring system. The down type is waterfowl feather and waterfowl down. The foam inner core is polyurethane and polyester fiber construction.
That's what you want in construction..done the right way.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
We have a Henredon Fireside sofa from around 1998-1999... Down cushions that are now, just about completely worn out (interior-wise). No longer fluffable.. I'm not complaining... I have a 17-yr-old boy that still doesn't know how to sit... he just falls on to the couch... So, 12 years of that.. The tapestry-like upholstery has held up really well.
I love this sofa, because it's super deep and great for napping.. I'm 6' and still need a pillow behind my back to be comfortable in a normal sitting position..
Of course, I have no idea if Henredon still makes them the same way or even where they make them... but, mine has been top-notch...