A major factor that’s often overlooked on such projects is the role store fixtures can play in the process. Maybe they consider them too small to have an impact, or it simply never occurs to them that fixtures can be “green”. The truth is, the store fixtures one chooses can make a significant difference in the quality of the finished environment, and bottom line profitability, too. So it’s important that a retailer address this issue with their chosen design/manufacturing partner during the early planning phase to obtain the maximum desired results. Trying to incorporate them later can be far more expensive, even prohibitively so.

With years of experience in the design and manufacture of premium-quality “green” fixtures, Premier Store Fixtures is uniquely qualified to provide the knowledge and expertise to create eye-catching, high-function components that meet — or even exceed — their project requirements. By focusing on the use of “green” store fixtures from the beginning, Premier ensures they help “make the store” as well as “make the sale”.

From a health standpoint, Premier Store Fixtures uses only formaldehyde-free medium-density fiberboard (MDF) domestically to prevent any environmental impact on customers. Whenever possible, we manufacture store fixtures from natural wood, not only for its beauty and durability, but because it has no chemicals that can leech into the air, ground, and water supply. Equally important, Premier only uses materials and adhesives with VOC levels at or below established LEED guidelines. And there are several other ways Premier can help its clients not only achieve LEED certification, but maximize its benefits, as well.

Premier Store Fixtures’ products are manufactured from high-quality recycled materials whenever possible to reduce costs and environmental impact. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are often less than 500 miles from where our products will be utilized, which can also help in the certification process. Many companies find out after the fact that the permanent fixtures and millwork that goes into their project can play a significant role in garnering a variety of LEED credits.

“We’ve realized for a long time now that our company’s, and planet’s, future depends on Green,” states Glen Cacioppo, Executive Vice President of Premier Store Fixtures. “And our commitment to this philosophy extends from design and manufacturing to the recycling and proper disposal of all materials we utilize. We follow “green” practices every day in every one of our facilities, and provide our clients with solutions that allow them to do the same in their retail establishments.

“After all,” he continues, “the whole point behind creating ‘green’ retail environments is to improve the air quality and overall healthy well-being of its customers and employees. Since the store fixtures are definitely part of this process, they need to be part of the plan from its inception. Otherwise, you’re just not as ‘green’ as you think.”

“Our capabilities in China have made it possible to better meet the aesthetic, quality, and economic needs of our customers regarding natural and laminated wood products,” states Carlos Zurita, VP of Global Operations at Premier Store Fixtures. “It’s always been a desirable option for retail environments, but until fairly recently came with a high price tag. Now Premier can deliver all the appealing attributes of natural and laminated wood fixtures at a lower cost that’s equally attractive. And we can cover the full spectrum of wood programs, from high-end natural solids and veneers to laminated wood programs.”

According to Zurita, the China-based plant has enabled Premier to better support its clients by helping get the most from their fixture budgets. In addition to providing high-end finishes at lower cost and faster turnaround times, the facility manufactures a variety of natural and laminated wood products, most notably for applications requiring high-end tabletops and shelving. “The place is high-tech from floor to ceiling,” he explains, “from leading-edge digital design to the saws and dryers and machines that make our natural wood veneers. Just as important, our strict quality control standards ensure the integrity of everything we create.”

Another reason for natural wood’s growing popularity is it contains no chemicals that can leach into the ground and eventually water supplies. The best known of these chemicals is formaldehyde, which has been known to be present in a number of composite wood products, specifically hardwood, plywood, particleboard, and MDF (medium-density fiberboard). “Today, Premier Store Fixtures and most other companies in our industry use formaldehyde-free MDF, or what’s known as ‘CARB-compliant” MDF,” says Glen Cacioppo, EVP of Sales and Marketing.

“Its beauty, functionality, and the fact that it’s both a chemical-free and renewable material resource will continue to fuel the ‘growing’ use of natural and laminated wood,” Cacioppo adds. “Thanks to the advanced capabilities made possible by our facility in China, we’re able to guarantee Premier Store Fixtures customers have access to the finest natural and laminated wood products and finishes available…at costs that can fit into practically every budget.”

Nowhere is this more evident than the remarkable powder coating system — called sublimation — that almost magically imbues the natural beauty of wood onto any metal or aluminum product with incredibly realistic results. “It’s certainly not magic, but the effect sublimation delivers is stunning,” says Nelson Goodman, Vice President at Premier Store Fixtures. “Premier’s process lets us simulate the beauty of natural wood grain on a variety of metals, including steel and aluminum wood grain…even marble and granite surfaces. So we can offer our customers an almost endless menu of design possibilities.”

So just how realistic is the wood-like appearance? It’s virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. And not just from a distance: it stands up when closely inspected, as well. However, with Premier’s unique sublimation system, the beauty goes beyond skin deep. Because it permeates whatever surface it’s applied to, the coating forms a stronger bond that maintains it’s great looks through normal wear and tear.

But there’s still another very important factor in the tremendous appeal of the Premier Store Fixtures’ decorative coating system: affordability! “Thanks to our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in China, we’re able to provide the highest quality coatings far more cost-effectively,” says Goodman. “This lets us give our customers extraordinary design opportunities and outstanding product performance at lower prices. Creating these advanced coatings — and the machines that apply them — isn’t cheap, but our highly-efficient overseas operations let us significantly reduce the expense without compromising quality.”

“This capability gives Premier Store Fixtures a distinct competitive advantage,” notes Goodman. “We can offer this fantastic design capability at a price that fits into almost any budget…and one that few, if any, can match.”

Everyone at Premier is proud to welcome Frank Carrion and his team of craftsmen from MCA to our company. After working on several projects with Frank over the past few years, we were finally able to entice him to join us, and bring his finest artisans on board, as well. What this means is a whole new level of woodworking capability for Premier Store Fixtures, from increased staff to far greater capacity to serve our customers’ needs.

Along with Frank and his team, Premier was also able to acquire the key pieces of equipment from MCA. These acquisitions will improve our ability to produce high-end woodworking and handle short production runs in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

“Getting Frank Carrion and his team of old-world craftsmen on board at Premier was a great coup for us,” remarks Nelson Goodman, Vice President at Premier Store Fixtures. “Our past associations with him and MCA were all positive and mutually-rewarding, so having him on our team now is a tremendous asset. Picking up all that woodworking equipment was a welcome bonus. Our newly-enhanced capacity will position Premier to be more competitive, because now we possess the flexibility to produce both long- and short-run production runs more efficiently and cost effectively.

“To put it succinctly,” Goodman continues, “Premier now has the ability to handle any wood project! So you can understand why we’re all so happy about the news. Things are getting pretty exciting at Premier Store Fixtures these days. We have become the ‘go-to’ resource in the industry.”

After a couple of exciting years at Apple, she accepted a position at InFoWorld Magazine, where she was able to utilize her creative talents in advertising, first in graphic layout and later as Print Production Manager.

The second phase of Ms. Dejan’s career led to her to Second City, where she entered the world of retail visual merchandising at the headquarters of legendary retailer, Marshall Field’s. Karin played an integral support role at Marshall Field’s, helping to manage the Shops Program as well as Store Renovations.

From there, she made her way briefly back to San Francisco but soon found herself bound for Chicago, where her career really soared as an inside sales team member for Met Merchandising. Her accounts included high profile clients such as Nike, Esprit, Dayton Hudson and May Co.  During that time, Karin also implemented one of the first programs for vendor shops, for Levi Strauss & Co.  Her involvement in the Slates by LS&Co. vendor shop program spanned from the initial design to the final prototype, shop layout and space planning, manufacturing, logistics, and installation.

As the new millennium approached, Ms. Dejan formed her own company, Dejan Quest, Ltd, where she continued to serve and build loyal clients such Levi Strauss & Co., Espirit, XOXO, and Saks.

Always looking for the exciting challenge, Karin joined Cormark, Inc. in 2004, where she specialized in selling custom store fixtures, POP displays, interactive fixtures, and kiosks. Just a year later, she was chosen to open the company’s Pacific Northwest office in Portland, OR to service a prestigious client list comprised of Nike, Nintendo, Fred Meyer, and Ping Golf.

The ensuing years brought continued professional success with such firms as 2 Hemispheres – client KEEN Footwear and Twenty-Four-Seven, Inc. – client Michael Kors, before Karin was presented with another exciting career advancement at Premier Store Fixtures.  “I joined Premier Store Fixtures in early 2012 because I could see that this company has a real dedication to the idea that ‘the customer comes first’,” says Karin. “Premier’s history of integrity and reputation for service excellence are well known in the industry, and this is a vitally important ingredient in building lasting partner relationships.”

“Equally important,” she continues, “is Premier’s strong commitment to growth.  My colleagues here exemplify the professional passion and commitment I know is fundamentally important in delivering the quality of products and service I can be proud to provide my current and prospective clients.”

Capable of powering the entire operation in case of weather- or facility-related outages, this advanced self-monitoring system ensures Premier’s many customers that the manufacturing will keep running smoothly, project deadlines will be met, and deliveries made on time even in the worst conditions. The generator was installed to virtually eliminate any disturbance of the production process.

So now customers can enjoy an even greater sense of security in the power of Premier. Whatever they need, whenever they need it, Premier Store Fixtures will be generating the quality and service to keep their bottom lines in great shape.

So when their G by GUESS division — which specializes in apparel and accessories for young men and women in the 14-24 year-old market, including shoes, hats, pocketbooks, jewelry, watches, and a wide range of outerwear to complement the parent company’s well-known jeans — put out an RFP for assistance in the continuing expansion of new retail locations, Premier Store Fixtures eagerly submitted a bid. When Premier was awarded the contract, the excitement was shared company-wide.

“We were thrilled to have been chosen,” states Nelson Goodman, Vice President at Premier Store Fixtures. “Over the last five years, we’ve done some small projects with GUESS, but this is a much larger endeavor…an open-ended agreement in which we’ll take part in setting up as many stores as possible over the next two years. Each location will be approximately 5,200-square feet in size, and the Premier team will be involved in creating each entire store. The only thing we won’t be doing is producing the mannequins, although we certainly could.”

As with every Premier Store Fixture client, a project manager, heading a dedicated team, was designated to serve virtually every need G by GUESS could have. From project management and warehousing through engineering, logistical support, and design assistance, these highly-skilled professionals ensure the client’s vision is brought to life with equal attention to consumer demand and proven marketing principles.

While G by GUESS provided the original design for their stores, it was Premier Store Fixtures that delivered the engineering drawings, as well as numerous suggestions for enhancing their designs. Now five months into the two-year contract, Premier is hard at work producing interior perimeter walls, as well as cash-wrap and back-wrap areas (where customers check out and the cabinetry behind check-out). Additionally, their team is creating all the necessary “loose” fixtures, meaning tables, watchcases, divider and denim walls, fitting room doors and requisite hardware, and the hanging ceiling drive isles.

“To create the ideal retail environment for G by GUESS, we’ll be utilizing fixtures made from several different materials, including wood, metal, glass, and acrylic,” notes Goodman. “With our vast industry experience, Premier has unsurpassed expertise in making all these diverse elements work together beautifully to help our client realize maximum sales efficiency in every store.”

The wood being utilized in these locations is produced domestically in Premier’s Richmond, VA plant, while the metal and numerous accessories are imported. According to Goodman, this millwork is quite intricate, approaching architectural-grade, with extremely tight curves. It takes a high level of sophistication to create millwork capable of integrating virtually seamlessly with other quality materials.

“At this stage we have already completed (8) stores with many more to come,” Goodman says. “All of us at Premier Store Fixtures are very happy to have been chosen for this project, and we’d like nothing more than to continue in this partnership with G by GUESS and the GUESS family of companies.”

Upon his graduation, he decided to further his studies, seeking out the renowned Gordon Gilkey, who just happened to be teaching at Pacific Northwest College of Art, which coincidentally is located in Portland, OR. Two years of art and design led to the completion of his thesis, and the landing of a full-time position as Digital General Manager at Big Graphics. Roughly 730 days later, he moved to Infinity Images. Now, after nearly a dozen years there as an art director, designer, production manager, senior project manager, and director of business development, that preparation which began in Houston has reached fruition with Eric joining Premier Store Fixtures as its Director of Business Development.

“I’m very happy to be here and add my experience to the Premier creative team,” he says. “There’s tremendous talent here, and a number of people I’ve worked with in the past, so when this position became available, I couldn’t turn it down. To be part of such an amazing group is extremely exciting.”

There were other factors that made joining the Premier team attractive to Eric, as well. “I’m a process-oriented person,” he notes; “I like working ‘hands-on’ with brands, being part of the process. Working at an agency wouldn’t allow me to be involved with the broad assortment of brands available, helping them achieve goals from concept through completion. I’ve spent many years on projects involving POP, fixturing, apparel and signs for retail/graphic communications, and permanent display environments, so I’m really looking forward to what I’ll be doing as part of the Premier team.”

Another major reason Eric was eager to bring his talent and experience to Premier was a shared dedication to “sustainability”.  A long-time advocate of sustainable philosophies, this is a way of thinking that Eric was on the forefront of increasing awareness and utilization of, not only in Oregon but all along the West Coast. In fact, he spearheaded an industry committee on behalf of his former employer that led to them becoming the first third-party certified company in Portland. As a result of his and others’ efforts, these philosophies are now a mandate for every company on the industry’s supply side. He also sits on the advisory committee of the world renown, “The Natural Step Network”, a non-profit organization started in the 80′s to help transform business and community awareness and practices.

“A sustainable philosophy is one where we realize that every decision we make has an effect on both our workplace and external environment,” he explains. “It forces us to develop solutions that not only protect these environments, but make good sense for the company’s bottom line, as well. In this way, when we make decisions about issues like standardization and work flow, we’re careful about how money is spent, and make sure we also account for the long-term effects of what we’re doing.

“Premier Store Fixtures enjoys a reputation for employing sustainable philosophies to deliver creative excellence and unsurpassed reliability,” Balderas continues. “This, along with their dedication to working closely with retailers and brands to create innovative, highly-functional retail environments that dazzle the senses and move merchandise, make them a company with a proud past and an exciting future. Which makes me very excited to be their new Director of Business Development.”

It didn’t take long for the company to realize it needed to draw more attention to this segment of its business. So those in charge contacted the people they felt could make this happen…Premier Store Fixtures. “They had a concept in mind, and contacted us with the project,” states Premier Vice President Nelson Goodman. “So we sat down with them, then drew up a plan and produced it. We knew the ‘Reserve’ section was in a less-than-prominent corner of each store, and set out to design a wall fixture that would make people stand up and take notice.”

The first store for the new look was the Starbucks on West Broadway in New York City. According to Goodman, the challenge was “to create a display that matched the richness and appeal of the Starbucks ‘Reserve’ coffees, which feature their exotic, rare, and most exquisite varieties. At the same time, because most Starbucks locations have limited space with which to build, the new fixture would be designed to work in conjunction with an existing store column. Fortunately, we’ve done many projects for Starbucks over the last five years or so, and had a good idea of what they wanted.”

The Premier Store Fixtures team quickly decided to transform an ordinary store column into an ‘attraction in and of itself’ that was both decorative and informative, using a combination of wood and steel components. “What we did was ‘wrap’ the column in steel, resulting in a unique, eye-catching display,” Goodman explains. “Then, to make sure the Starbucks brand logo really ‘popped’ for customers entering the store, we tinted the steel black, and created the lettering in a luxurious metallic champagne finish. The minute people see it, they get the feeling ‘something special is going on over there’, and walk over to get a better look.”

Actual customer comments and data support Goodman’s assessment, and feedback from the client has been very positive. “They’re very happy with the new fixture,” he says, “and feel it not only spotlights the ‘Reserve’ coffees, but adds an exotic new ‘flavor’ to the entire store.”

In other words, if Starbucks can brew it up, Premier Store Fixtures can create the display that will get their customers to drink it up.

The aforementioned “High Flow” glue system is a prime example of this, as it reduces maintenance while delivering a cleaner, smoother glue spread. Consisting of a quick-change glue reservoir and adjustable application, it provides for an even, uniform glue spread to the panels. But the Stream B-1 Edgebander’s benefits go far beyond adhesives.

Increased productivity and quality assurance is made possible by a high-speed horizontal end unit that allow for panel spacing of 300mm at a track speed of 25 meters per minute. This end unit ensures swift yet highly-accurate trimming panel after panel. Additionally, the four-motor Corner Rounding system can be utilized as a third top and bottom super finish trim station, when necessary, allowing for individual selection of each corner to be radiused. It also offers a “Fast Four” cut position system for three-bevel finishes and one radius.

Computer graphics operators appreciate the fact that the Stream B-1 Edgebander lets them store and retrieve hundreds of pre-set programs in a matter of seconds. Not to be overlooked amid all these features is the two-position Scraper that offers the ultimate chatter-free finish on thick PVC edges. To keep the edges smooth and pristine, it has flat blade scrapers which give the panel the final cut along the surface, completing the tight clean edge. Finally, innovative buffers and hot-air blowers deliver a smoother, shinier finish.

“The bottom line is the Stream B-1 gives us greater productivity, enhanced accuracy and quality assurance, and process repeatability,” says Goodman. “This translates into superior value, lower cost, and higher product reliability for our customers, as we can offer more choices, faster response time, and a world of exciting new possibilities.”