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By staying in tune with consumer trends and customers’ needs, Ebel Inc. has maintained a strong track record in product development.
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| Clockwise: Sister and brother Sabrina and Kai Ebel and their mother, company founder Anne Ebel, together have made Ebel Inc. a prominent player in the outdoor-furniture market.
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Anne Ebel started a little company in 1988. Called Ebel Inc., it sold resin benches to amusement parks and country clubs across the United States. Today, Ebel, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has evolved into a respected manufacturer of all-weather wicker furniture that caters to specialty retailers. Patio & Hearth Products Report sat down with Sabrina Ebel, marketing and retail manager (and Anne’s daughter), to find out what makes Ebel a growing company with a bright future.
P&HPR: How has Ebel made a name for itself in the outdoor-furniture industry?
A: I would say that we never stop looking for opportunities to become more relevant in the industry. We are all about staying in touch with consumer tastes and evolving with industry trends. As weather-wicker specialists, we are proud of the fact that we offer consumers high-quality products that are made, 100 percent, the same way as the big-name brands, but for a much lower price.
P&HPR: Why do you think all-weather wicker is so popular with consumers?
A: Weather wicker is a consumer favorite because it offers so many design possibilities, and it warms up an outdoor space in a way that aluminum or wrought iron cannot. It has a cozy indoor look, yet it can be cleaned off with your garden hose.
Weather wicker looks natural and comes in many different color variations and weaves, which is very appealing to consumers. High-end weaves, like ours, don’t fade, chip or crack, so furniture can be enjoyed for many years in any climate. In response to customer requests, we introduced accessories this year, including a wicker umbrella base and storage box that coordinate with our furniture collections.
P&HPR: What Ebel pieces or collections are consumer favorites?
A: A consistent favorite has been the Avignon collection. It’s one of our groups that we call transitional because it appeals to customers who are looking for something contemporary and traditional—it can go both ways. It’s also our deepest collection, with the most pieces.
At Casual Pre-Market last year, we introduced Beaumont, a new collection designed by award-winning furniture designer Philip Behrens. It features a textured, natural-looking weave called Henna that has been a hit with consumers. It’s slightly smaller than the oversized furniture that has been so popular recently, so it fits nicely in a lot of different spaces. As far as individual pieces go, motion pieces like our combination glider/swivel rocker have been strong sellers.
P&HPR: As consumers’ tastes become more sophisticated, how do you plan to continue to meet their expectations?
A: That’s not an easy thing to do without a crystal ball. We certainly keep an eye on the trends, and what’s going on indoors is always a big clue. We also rely on input from our sales reps and dealers, particularly when it comes to price point and style. They are out in the stores, dealing with customers, so they can give us input based on what they see and hear.
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Ebel's popular Beaumont collection features scaled-down all-weather wicker pieces that fit nicely in an y outdoor space. |
P&HPR: What do you see as Ebel’s biggest opportunity and challenge?
A: We have a big opportunity this year. In March, we moved into a new space on the 15th floor of the Chicago Merchandise Mart that has allowed us to quadruple the size of our showroom. This move gives us more visibility than ever before because it allows us to show all of our merchandise—something that we couldn’t do in our previous showroom.
This showroom is open year-round, so when Market is not going on, we will be able to show to the design trade. This is another great opportunity because designers are becoming a bigger part of our business. We will debut our new showroom to the casual-furniture industry at Pre-Market in July.
Our biggest challenge is to stay ahead of the competition. We want to stay ahead of the curve and be the first to come out with new trends. This is an ongoing challenge that we take very seriously.
P&HPR: What changes have you seen in the outdoor-furniture industry over the past six years?
A: The biggest change I’ve seen is more sophisticated designs. Outdoor furniture has become just as attractive and comfortable as indoor furniture, and you see it not just in specialty stores, but at the mass-merchant level as well. With the growing popularity of the outdoor room, customers don’t want to put those silly little plastic chairs on their patios anymore.
I’ve also seen the movement toward deep seating grow incredibly. It used to be all about dining, and now it’s about sitting and relaxing, and eating on a coffee table, end table or chat table. We’ve addressed this in all of our collections.
P&HPR: What emerging trends do you see?
A: Contemporary styles are what’s hot right now; by contemporary, I mean clean lines and a sleek look. Another thing that’s interesting is that there is a trend toward weather wicker in lighter colors. Next season, we are introducing both silver-gray and white weaves that I think are going to do really well. I’m also seeing more bright colors on cushions and pillows. I think people are getting bored with the muted look and welcome shots of color.
P&HPR: In your opinion, what does the future hold for the outdoor-furniture industry?
A: We didn’t know what we were going to hear from retailers at market last year; to our surprise, we had many people telling us that they had their best season ever. I think that, even with the housing slowdown, people are still spending time in their homes and outdoors. They are fixing up what they have, and that’s great for us. I like to hope that other people share my optimism.
P&HPR: What does the future hold for Ebel?
A: We will continue to focus our attention on what we do and on doing it well. That goes all the way from manufacturing to customer service to creating designs that people love. It all matters—and, of course, we will remain loyal to specialty retailers because they have made us what we are today.
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