Superior Furniture aims to expand presence in West

Solid-wood furniture resource Superior Furniture is looking to expand its presence on the West Coast by adding another half dozen sales representatives in western states.

The Millersburg, Ohio-based company also has added bedroom to its lineup of solid-wood dining room furniture following the acquisition of Ohio-based American Benchmark Furnishings earlier this year.

The Einstein bedroom, part of the Superior Furniture line, is made by one of the Amish workshops the company employs in Ohio.

Superior was formed about 15 years ago as a finishing shop called Hill Finishing. In 2006, it expanded as a wholesale supplier of solid-wood furniture under the name of Superior Furniture.

The company’s line is made by about a dozen Amish workshops -- including four main suppliers -- located within a 30 to 45-minute radius of the company’s home base. These workshops produce solid-wood furniture made with a range of wood species, including rustic cherry, oak, hickory and brown maple.

The furniture these workshops produce is finished in Superior’s 13,000-square-foot operation in Millersburg, said Aden Hershberger, the former owner of American Benchmark Furnishings.

Hershberger came to Superior following the acquisition earlier this year and is now heading up the company’s western expansion.

Hershberger said the company has a dozen reps covering the Midwest and Eastern seaboard. It also has one rep in California, and by late summer expects to add another six to seven reps to cover other western states.

He said the line currently includes about 12 different dining rooms, most of which are casual footprints. Five-piece sets retail from about $1,400 to $3,500.

The company also offers about 20 different occasional table sets and has four bedrooms that retail for about $4,500. A typical standalone, queen-sized bed retails for about $1,800. Hershberger said the company acquired the bedrooms as part of its purchase of American Benchmark, but is looking to develop two new sets by mid-summer. The company also is looking to add more casual dining sets to its line.

Currently, Hershberger said, the company does about $3 million in sales.

Company owner Ervin Yoder said he sees the expansion doubling the size of the business over time. Noting that Superior sells to about 125 active retail accounts, he said he also believes the company can service the anticipated growth from its existing network of subcontracted Amish workshops.

“We have marketed east and will continue to market east, but we are seeing there is so much more that can be done if we focus on moving west,” he said.

Source: Furniture Today