Permanent showroom building Forty One Madison has rolled out the welcome mat to a bevy of new tenants while renewing leases with several long-term ones. Both newcomers and existing tenants are readying their spaces for the New York Tabletop Show this month.
“Forty One Madison is the world’s best address for the tabletop industry and we’re delighted to be here,” said Suzanne Murphy, vice president of marketing at Meyer Corporation U.S. Meyer’s first New York showroom is in a newly renovated 3,000-square-foot space on the 17th floor, where it’s putting the spotlight on the Paula Deen and Rachael Ray dinnerware collections it introduced earlier this year, along with its holiday 2012 patterns. The company is known for its cookware and kitchenware brands.
Fürstenberg, the German-based porcelain dinnerware manufacturer, is opening a showroom on the 9th floor where its dynamic series by Sieger Design will be among the collections on display. Julia Knight, who has made her mark with a portfolio of nature-inspired serveware and accessories, is now in a 1,200-square-foot location on the 6th floor. On the 9th floor, Julia Watts is expanding into its own new space, doubling the area of where it previously showed. Watts is distributing two new collections: Alain Saint Joanis and Alice Goldsmith Ceramics.
The Zrike Company is opening a showroom on the 18th floor. “Our buyers are practically encamped at Forty One throughout the tabletop market, and this is where we want and need to be,” said David Zrike, president. “And, if this is the heart and soul of the industry, then this is where every manufacturer and importer in the business should be.” New for Zrike at this fall’s show are lines from Lulu DK, the Beatles, and Dena Home.
“Our tenant roster continues to grow and evolve along with this great industry,” said Laurie Burns, Forty One Madison’s senior vice president and director. “We’re witnessing that luxury brands worldwide are still fonts of innovation and inspiration, yet there’s a movement toward casualization of tabletop in both that’s impacting both luxury and affordable categories. And it’s a change that parallels the incorporation of cooking and food preparation into the way consumers now entertain at home. Kitchens are open and there’s as much theatricality and drama in creating a meal as there is in serving it.”
Artland, a long-time Forty One Madison tenant, has renewed its lease and will remain on the 22nd floor. Denby, which has made Forty One Madison its home base for more than 20 years, renewed its 16th floor showroom. “Denby is proud to be a part of the Forty One Madison family for so many years. We know this is the place to be in order to get in front of industry decision makers,” said Lynne Okulski, president and CEO. The company will launch cookware at this market. Pickard, on the 9th floor, is returning with its own made-in-America collections as well as those by designers like Kelly Wearstler and Charlotte Moss. On the 19th floor, Q-Squared, an Italian-based melamine maker, is relocating to a showroom space that is 30 percent larger than what it originally occupied, allowing it to include offices and remain open daily.
“This is just half the story of what’s to be found at Forty One Madison during The New York Tabletop Show,” Burns said. “The concentration of nearly every top brand in the business makes it convenient for retailers to spend time here, exploring the showrooms, discovering the next best-sellers and spotting the next wave of trends and innovations. ”