Making furniture competitive.

In an ever-changing global economy, many jobs have left American soil for foreign nations to better compete in the worldwide market.
Caldwell County and many other regions in North Carolina have felt the impact of this change with the loss of thousands of jobs in both the furniture and textile industries. A joint study committee formed by the North Carolina Senate and House of Representatives seeks change to make domestic furniture competitive once again. The committee had its first meeting Monday morning at Hickory Chair in Hickory. The committee hopes to improve the status of domestic industries by developing new technologies or processes in order to remain competitive in the global market; review existing federal and state programs designed to assist the industry and recommendations for improvement; investigate the cost of manufacturing in emerging production markets such as China and India; and study ways to protect intellectual properties in the domestic furniture industry.
North Carolina State Senator Jim Jacumin said domestic furniture manufacturers can compete. He said the government must get involved in order to revitalize the furniture industry. He said competitors have succeeded in taking jobs away because their government believed in them and gave them support.
“Our government has not got involved yet,” Jacumin said. “We have to get involved. Many other nations recognized they could take our businesses, and we sit back and let it happen. We want to start doing now what all the people we are competing with have been doing all along.”
Jacumin also said it is important to build hope and not dwell on all the manufacturer closings.
“We've got to turn our minds around from what we are seeing in the papers and on TV,” Jacumin said. “It is very important now and it will become more important later. We have not seen the end of this.”

Spring House Painting? Think Historic Colors.

Employing period colors on an older home brings back to life the lost features and provides fresh curb appeal usually missing in most neighborhoods. Many homeowners will just repaint with the existing color or fall back to white or taupe - safe colors because they can't visualize anything better. Most national paint brands have a line of historic colors. Combine these with a little research on color placement or a consultation with a professional color expert and the results will be dramatic. The new paint scheme does not have to be garish. People think wild "Painted Lady" when they visualize historic colors, but in fact most historic schemes are calm and employ "grayed-colors." All types of architecture from Colonials, to nineteenth century Victorians, Bungalows, Craftsman's and Retro Ranches can benefit from using colors that were originally designed for them.
A comparison, Schweitzer notes "A 1968 Camero RS would look better in its original red with its white nose and pin stripes than in a modern silver color. The car was designed to be flashy and racy; architecture is the same way." Allow the house to be what it was intended to be. Stark white colored Victorians rob the viewer of the chance to appreciate the intricate woodwork and to see how the house was meant to be seen in the nineteenth century.

Southern Gourmet, Kitchen & Bath Show.

ATLANTA, GA - July 26 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The 2005 Southern Gourmet, Kitchen & Bath Show (SGKB) will heat things up in Atlanta! SGKB showcases the latest products and cutting-edge design ideas of the kitchen and bath in the South. This can't-miss event features an impressive array of product displays and demonstrations, development courses, stage presentations and the opportunity to learn more than ever.
At this years show, you can sample to your stomach's content at the SGKB Show. This show features the latest in kitchen & bath concepts and gourmet food products, national and local chefs, demonstrations and seminars. At the Southern Gourmet, Kitchen & Bath Show you'll be able to explore the latest foods, utensils & appliances on the market. National manufacturers, distributors and local retailers will come together to display their products to the food, kitchen & bath arena.
The event also has an area called, "Golden Innovations Award" where manufactures and distributor display the newest products on the market today. You can see these kitchen & bath products including grills, utensils, stone bath tubs, and appliances, and more.
This show targets consumers, designers, builders, retailers and many other high-quality kitchen and bath professionals. SGKB is owned and produced by the Hurst Group, LLC and is Atlanta's largest show dedicated to the Gourmet, Kitchen and Bath.

Arclinea Boston Wins 'Best In Show' at Luxury Living Awards.

BOSTON, MA -- (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Arclinea Boston and Feinmann, Inc. were presented with the "Best in Show" award at the first annual Luxury Living Awards in Boston on April 6, for their design of a spectacular kitchen in Arlington, Massachusetts, referred to as the "Arlington Chef's Dream Kitchen."
"The Arclinea/Feinmann kitchen was chosen as the Best in Show winner because it has been so beautifully conceived as an innovative, yet functional living space," says John Kenney, publisher of HomeWorks Sourcebook, which organized the Luxury Living Awards. "From among many wonderful entries, our jury chose the Arlington Chef's Dream Kitchen because it is both visually striking and marvelously functional while seamlessly integrating architecture, design, and finishing elements."
The Arlington kitchen was also named the Platinum Award winner in the kitchen category at the Luxury Living Awards, which celebrate New England's most beautiful living spaces and the talented design professionals who created them. A distinguished panel of jurors drawn from the home design, real estate, and media fields recognized Arclinea Boston and Feinmann, Inc. at an elegant reception and dinner, held at Boston's World Trade Center in conjunction with Build Boston's new Residential Design 2005 show, sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects.
Arclinea Boston architect Mercedes Farrando consulted with the Arlington home's owners on the dramatic re-imagining of their kitchen. "The clients are a chef and her husband. They wanted to make a bold, lively statement in their kitchen with color and materials, but they also needed it to be a thoroughly ergonomic and functional space," she says.