Office chain adds 6 more franchises
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 27, 2003
Birmingham, Ala. — Office Furniture USA has sold six new franchises in recent weeks on top of the 11 it added in 2002.
The new franchises are in San Francisco, purchased by Dillon Lucas Commercial Interiors; two in Los Angeles, purchased by Jules Seltzer Associates and by Fulmer Interiors; Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Mich., both purchased by Custer Office Environments; and Phoenix, purchased by Facilitec Interiors for Business.
Joe Schmieder, chief operating officer for Custer Office Environments, said joining Office Furniture USA was a way to provide better customer service.
"Our desire was to strengthen the breadth of products and services we offer to our customers," Schmieder said. "We found the Office Furniture USA collection of high-quality furniture and accessories to be a perfect match with the Steelcase contract furniture and other lines we carry.
"We're also looking to expand into the midmarket area, and we believe Office Furniture USA will support us in that direction," he said.
Office Furniture USA said that in addition to posting one of its best years for expansion in 2002, its stores also posted month-over-month growth in sales volume from February to September, the last month for which figures are available.
Office Furniture USA contracts with dealers and manufacturers to provide office furniture to consumers and businesses. It sells via e-commerce, catalogs and 142 dealer-owned franchises in 40 states.
