KRAVET/LEE JOFA TO UNVEIL A 5,003 SQUARE-FOOT SIGNATURE SHOWROOM
AT THE L.A. MART®, OCTOBER 2004
LOS ANGELES (June 11, 2004) — In a bold move forward that will attract designers from across Southern California, Kravet/Lee Jofa will debut a new designer showroom on the first floor of the L.A. Mart,® Suite 142. The 5,003 square-foot showroom is scheduled to open early October 2004 and will feature a vast selection of fabric, trim, upholstered furniture and wall coverings to accommodate every design need.
“We are thrilled to become a part of the resurgence that is taking place at the L.A. Mart,” said Sid Goldberg, president of Sidney Goldberg and Associates, the exclusive representatives of Kravet/Lee Jofa. “We firmly believe our new showroom provides us with an additional opportunity to sell and service a different and unique design customer that currently frequents the L.A. Mart.”
For the millennium, Kravet has remerchandised its business into three divisions: kravetcouture, kravetdesign and kravetbasics. Kravetcouture is the high-end, designer-only brand that consists of the most luxurious weaves and printed products available today. Kravetdesign contains the most diverse product offering with traditional, transitional and fashion-forward designs. The majority of the licensed product is held within this division. The kravetbasics brand focuses its view on the continuous need to offer reasonably priced basic product such as solids, chenilles and multi-purpose wovens and prints.
A multi-generational, family-owned and operated business, Kravet is renowned as North America’s largest fabric company boasting the greatest amount of SKU selections of any U.S. fabric manufacturer. Showroom lines to be found in the new L.A. Mart location include Kravet, Kravet Furniture, Lee Jofa, Lee Jofa Furniture and other fine lines, plus additional licensed Kravet product.
As the L.A. Mart continues to build a stronger Southern California design center presence, marquis brands such as Kravet have begun to take note. “We are delighted that Kravet/Lee Jofa has made a major commitment to the L.A. Mart with the opening of its new showroom,” said Paul Watson, vice president and assistant general manager of the L.A. Mart. “The Kravet brand is internationally renowned for its leadership position in the fabric and home furnishings industries. Its confidence in establishing a long-term and sizeable presence at the L.A. Mart further confirms our position as a pivotal Southern California design center destination.”
A grand-opening showroom celebration is currently being planned to coincide with Kravet’s L.A. Mart premiere. Further details will be made available prior to the opening.
ABOUT THE L.A. MART
The L.A. Mart is the pre-eminent center for gift and home furnishings products in the Western United States. With nearly 300 showrooms encompassing 724,000 square feet of showroom space, the L.A. Mart is dedicated to showcasing a wide array of lifestyle merchandise including gifts, fine furniture and home décor, decorative accessories, tabletop, stationery, collectibles, holiday ideas, gourmet foods, floral, linens, paper products, bath & body items, apparel, children’s giftware and handcrafted products. The L.A. Mart is centrally located within the new Furniture & Decorative Arts District at 1933 South Broadway, Los Angeles, California 90007, at the corner of Broadway and Washington Boulevard.
For more information about the L.A. Mart and its home furnishings business, please visit www.merchandisemart.com (click on L.A. Mart under "Properties") or call 800.LAMART.4.
ABOUT KRAVET
Kravet is a fourth-generation family business offering the widest range of fabrics and furnishings in the home decorative industry. The company began by supplying traditional and transitional fabrics to the interior design trade in 1918. Years later, Kravet developed an upholstered furniture collection as well as a mahogany wood-exposed chair collection, which together has made Kravet Furniture a success. Since then a complete variety of styles and additional products have been added including ottomans, footstools, occasional tables, sleepers and more. In 1993, as Kravet entered its 75th year in business, the company launched a licensing division with high-profile names such as Mark Hampton, Larry Laslo, Biltmore Estate and Joseph Abboud.
For more information about Kravet/Lee Jofa, please contact Sid Goldberg, Sidney Goldberg & Associates call 818.710.9900 or visit www.kravet.com
The L.A. Mart is managed by Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI). The L.A. Mart is a registered trademark of MMPI. The Gift & Home Furnishings Market is a trademark of MMPI.
Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI) is a trade show and property management firm, specializing in managing buildings devoted to wholesale showrooms and commercial office space. MMPI produces more than 300 trade shows, market events and conferences each year.
MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart, Chicago Apparel Center, and 33 North Dearborn in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point, N.C.; the Architects & Designers Building in New York; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and the Washington Design Center and Washington Office Center in Washington D.C.
Vornado Realty Trust, owner of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.
MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY:
Joanna Mineau
Director of Public Relations
Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.
312-527-7074
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