Manufacturer Brand Spotlight: Rowe

As a family-owned and operated business, we are very focused on partnering with some of the best manufacturers in the business. Our success is in part due to our incredible partners. We thought our own customers would enjoy an inside view of the people responsible for the beautiful furniture that Bondars is known for, and to learn more about how active these companies are in their communities and industry.

Rowe Furniture

Rowe Fine Furniture’s portfolio of brands includes Rowe and Robin Bruce – each with distinctive styling, from mid-century to contemporary to traditional and eclectic chic. Rowe is committed to providing customers a high level of design, exceptional customer service, and quality manufacturing.

They are one of the first manufacturers to start utilizing Crypton fabrics, a commercial-grade fabric that is stain and liquid resistant and can be used on all Rowe & Robin Bruce frames. Their unique kid-proof and pet-proof performance fabrics are some of the best in the business.

Company History

Founded in 1946 by Donald E. Rowe Sr. and Ralph Bent - Rowe Fine Furniture began with the manufacture of a single recliner in a small shop in Roanoke, VA. Since then, Rowe has been a part of the history of furniture design and development in the US and abroad. Rowe has been an innovator, a visionary, and a company committed to listening to our customers and adapting to their needs.

They have gained valuable experience from their over 70 years of manufacturing furniture and with their long history and commitments to both quality and sustainability, Rowe has earned the trust and has helped inspire millions of customers.

Philanthropy

• Rowe regularly donates furniture, to schools, churches, fire stations, and various other organizations within our community.
• Rowe is a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and uses green materials and building methods in all of their products. The wood used in their frames is harvested from domestic and replenished forests.
• Rowe has produced and donated thousands of washable cloth face-masks to Covid 19 first responders and is committed to continuing this effort until the PPE is no longer needed.

What does the future look like?

Are there any big changes in the way you will run your business post COVID-19?

Manufacturing during the Covid era certainly requires a fluid mindset. We have a large facility with over 600 employees so we must be eager to learn and react quickly in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our employees. In addition to temperature check stations in every entrance, and mask-wearing protocols, we have hired around the clock sanitation teams to disinfect touchpoints. We have also invested in an air compression powered Guard Air Cleaning system that sanitizes plant stations at night with air dispensed disinfectant.

In the meantime, demand is strong. Families are investing in their homes and immediate gratification has become very important to the consumer. We are working hard to get our production time back to 30 days or less by working overtime, Saturdays, and mini-shifts at night. We are also investing in more in-stock programs which have helped us fill demand.

Even before Covid, we noticed a movement towards wellness and sustainability. We believe that consumers will adopt brands that are embracing these values. We have introduced a new line of sustainable, and plant-based performance fabrics which we are very proud of. This September we will launch a new digital campaign called Breathe by Boden. This is a new sofa collection featured in a sustainable performance fabric from a fabric mill that shares our values. We are also exploring a partnership with a company called Leigh Fibers that will recycle even more of our waste and possibly sell it back to us in the form of raw materials. This is a major initiative for our company, and we look forward to sharing some metrics on our progress in 2021.

What are your thoughts on the future in terms of the furniture industry?

You will continue to see products sold in more diverse forms of distribution. The vast majority of furniture will be sold in large commodity type environments whether it be a physical location or e-commerce platform, while more specialized and higher quality products will be sold in smaller independent venues that specialize experience and have ties within the local communities. Direct to consumer selling platforms will continue to grow, and unique collaborations between technology/marketing companies, and those who have the logistics to accept and deliver furniture will develop.