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Furniture Store Changes Brands

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By DAVE SIMANOFF, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 6, 2007

TAMPA - Shoppers and interior decorators in West Central Florida soon will have fewer places to find Ethan Allen furniture.

They'll find a new option for high-end furnishings, upholstery and accessories, however.

Burgess Carriage House, based in Pinellas Park, is ending its 35-year partnership to sell Ethan Allen furniture in the Tampa Bay region.

President Scott Burgess said his company has signed an exclusive deal with another upscale furniture manufacturer, Drexel Heritage.

Burgess said Ethan Allen's management seems focused on company-owned stores.

As an independent retailer, switching to Drexel Heritage allows him to continue to make more local decisions.

'I would not ever knock Ethan Allen. Both companies make terrific products, and have great customer service,' he said. 'We're trying to part with Ethan Allen on good terms. We've had a great run with them. It's just that they're more centralized from a management standpoint.'

Burgess said Drexel Heritage is relatively new to the Tampa Bay area. He said the company offers many choices and a lot of flexibility to consumers, and boasts exclusive collections from designers like Lillian August and Vera Bradley.

The Ethan Allen signs at Burgess Carriage House's three stores should come down sometime next week, Burgess said.
Drexel Heritage signs should arrive in November.

Ethan Allen will retain a strong presence in the Tampa Bay area.

Tampa-based Carriage House Interiors owns three Ethan Allen Design Centers in Hillsborough County: one on Dale Mabry Highway, one in the Citrus Park area, and one in Brandon.

Carriage House President Jeff Bloom said he has no intention of ending his relationship with Ethan Allen.

'We're very high on the direction Ethan Allen's been going,' he said.

'They're the innovator in the industry, and they've been making a lot of the right moves.'

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. is based in Danbury, Conn. Drexel Heritage is part of LifeStyle Furnishings International, based in High Point, N.C.

Reporter Dave Simanoff can be reached at (813) 259-7762 or dsimanoff@tampatrib.com.

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