Home entertainment seating company RowOne® is supporting their dealers with faster delivery and new seating options for home theater and beyond. The company has added a second warehouse and is taking to the road to promote this and more at the upcoming Nationwide PrimeTime, CEDIA Expo and HTSA Fall conferences.
Since first fulfilling orders in late 2020 from its Ann Arbor, Michigan warehouse, RowOne has been reaching any dealer in the Continental US within 10 business days. Now, a second warehouse has been added (Tacoma, Washington) making possible reaching western US dealers in as little as 4 business days. According to CEO Todd Girdis, “No other seating company in the channel is stocking inventory like we are or can deliver as quickly. On top of this our optional RowOne Last Mile Service ensures a convenient scheduled delivery and installation to a room of choice within a customer’s residence.”
Introducing the Cortés
Cortés is RowOne Seating’s new premiere chair that Girdis says “is born from consumer’s thirst for premium seating. This top grain leather/vinyl match chair has a more contemporary styling with some curvature, making it extremely stylish for home theaters, multipurpose entertainment rooms, media rooms, bonus rooms and more.”
Cortés also incorporates some new tech features. Featured is a full power headrest independent of the power recline feature. It is also the first in the industry available with multiple base rail and cupholder lighting color options (6 color choices as opposed to the standard blue).
New for RowOne is the incorporation of a 110-voltage outlet in the storage arm of Cortés, ideal for laptop charging. Cortés and all RowOne styles are available as single recliner, loveseat, sofa or multiple chair rows. All feature Leggett & Platt furniture components, OKIN motors, cupholders and USB charging port. Cortés is available in black and light grey and begins shipping September 2021.
Sneak peak of the Cortes with green base rail and cupholder illumination.
The Cortés will be debuted at:
- Nationwide PrimeTime Event, August 17-18, Nashville, TN (booth #1867)
- CEDIA Expo, September 1-3, Indianapolis, IN (SoundRoom-17)
- HTSA Fall Conference, October 12-14, Dallas, TX
Introducing Grey Color Options to Prestige and Revolution Chairs
Recognizing dealers increasing opportunities to sell seating for not only home theaters, but bonus rooms and dens, etc, RowOne has added the color grey to two popular models, thus allowing for even better integration into today’s homes.
The Prestige model is now available in light grey (in addition to black or brown).
The Revolution model is now available in a dark grey option (in addition to black).
RowOne’s 4 Styles of Home Entertainment Seating
Cortés is RowOne’s new premium top grain leather/vinyl match chair boasting a fresh new look ideal not only for home theaters but other entertainment and media rooms, etc. Notable features include full power recline and independent full power headrest, multiple (6) base rail and cupholder lighting color choice options and a 110-voltage outlet in the storage arm.
Revolution is the ultimate in quality and comfort with an abundance of features including all the standard features highlighted below in Prestige. Revolution upgrades include premium black leatheraire covering, independent motorized headrest, a unique 3-step dimmable blue LED cupholder and base rail lighting and memory button seating settings.
Prestige is already a market leader, with styling that fits any decor or lifestyle. Prestige features include all the same standard features highlighted in Galaxy II. Prestige upgrades include premium black top grain leather/vinyl match covering, deep storage arms that can hold a multitude of items such as gaming and remote controls or books. Also included in the upgrades are a black matte finish tray table and attractive blue LED lighted cupholder and base rail lighting.
Galaxy II is the market-competitive entry-level value that allows the dealer to compete together with the furniture retailer. Covered in black polyurethane fabric for the look and feel of leather, each chair comes with power recline, cup holder and a USB charging port.
About RowOne
Based near Ann Arbor, Michigan, under the leadership and ownership of CEO Todd Girdis, RowOne offers a unique line of home entertainment and theater seating. The company’s products represent tremendous performance-to-value ratios based upon style, build-quality, feature sets, affordable pricing and 2-4 business day delivery to any dealer in the Continental US. In 2018, RowOne was cited a top 5 home theater seating company by CEPro Magazine CEPro 100 dealers. RowOne’s products are available for sale by authorized dealers. For information on how to become a dealer partner, please contact RowOne via email at todd@rowoneht.com or call 734.395.3534. www.rowoneht.com
Home Theater Setup: Converted Attic Space to 4K Dolby Atmos Theater Room w/ Sony VPL-VW715ES
Home Theater Setup
This converted attic space became a luxury home theater, perfect for the couple who loves action movies and concerts. We mapped out the ideal screen size for the seating arrangement and installed a 127″ diagonal 2.40 acoustically transparent Stewart Filmscreen. The main left, right, and center JBL Synthesis home theater speakers are behind the screen for a true cinematic experience. The remaining Atmos and surround speakers are all Revel architectural models that disappear in the room. Three SVS subwoofers placed around the room provide powerful bass impact for all those action movies. A top of the line Anthem receiver and extra 3 channel power amp powers everything and its ARC (Anthem Room Correction) makes the room sound incredible. Kinetics acoustic panels damp out reflections enabling all of those subtle details to shine. The Sony projector is perfect for this screen size with a picture that looks amazing. For great signal quality throughout, AudioQuest cables were used to connect the components. Transparent In-Wall Cable was used to wire all the speakers. A Control4 remote and lighting control system is the final touch for this great home theater room. Read our full writeup on this home theater here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u32Dwj5F4bA
I recently caught up with RowOne CEO Todd Girdis to talk about why no dealer should lose the entertainment/home theater seating sale to a furniture store and how RowOne is being referred to as, “the vendor brand launch success story of the pandemic year!” Part 2 (Part 1 Here)
Maureen Jenson: What types of benefits and incentives does RowOne offer new dealers signing up?
Todd Girdis: We believe it is incredibly important for consumers to touch, feel and play with furniture in making their home entertainment and home theater choices. We generally offer a display incentive to CI/CE retailers that have a showroom available to display our products. When a retailer agrees to display our products on their showroom floor, we will provide them a swatch book of all the different coverings at no charge. All authorized retailers are included in our referral program so that when homeowners call us, we ask where they live, and we refer that business to the closest available retailers to that geography.
MJ: What about retailer support? How do you go above and beyond to support your CI/CE retailers?
TG: We fully back our products for one-year with a bumper-to-bumper warranty (can’t help the bumper-to -bumper description, I’m from Detroit, the automobile capital of the US!). And we provide 3-years on motors and mechanisms.
We are also the only home entertainment seating company in the channel that is stocking inventory. This means we can reach any retailer in the Continental US within 7-10 business days and any residence in 15-20 days. This is going above and beyond to ensure our CI/CE dealer’s success in a very competitive market of home entertainment/home theater seating. There is no reason a dealer should lose the home entertainment seating / home theater seating sale to a furniture store!
RowOne Seating install courtesy of HTSA dealer Gramophone, Maryland
We just launched a new fully mobile-optimized website with a dealer login portal (upcoming) to make placing and tracking orders easy. This portal will also provide access to Audio Advice’s Home Theater Designer Tool which enables dealers to spec-in audio, video and seating into their rooms with gear configurations and room dimensions responding in real-time (very cool!). The tool incorporates all our Revolution seating designs and we are the only seating company featured in it.
MJ: Any great dealer or distribution success stories you would like to share with our readers?
TG: We have several big announcements!
This month RowOne began doing business with Best Buy. Initially 152 US Magnolia Home Theater In-Store showrooms have put our Direct Collection entry-level Galaxy II and step-up level Prestige chair styles on display with additional stores being added in the future. Best Buy offers the industry-lead CE/CI brands and their Magnolia Home Theater staff are experts in technologies and trends. Having been fully vetted to meet the stringent requirements of this #1 CI/CE retailer, we are very proud to be approved as a vendor partner.
Another success story is noted HTSA association North Carolina-based home theater retailer/integrator Audio Advice. They started out as a small display retailer for us and in 2018 expanded to become a gallery retailer of ours. This led to their decision in 2019 to increase sales and begin to purchase large inventories from us.
On the distribution side of things, we have two exciting announcements. We just entered into an agreement with the Nationwide Marketing Group giving their 250+ Home Technology Specialists Nationwide (HTSN) division dealers access to our seating. We also inked a distribution deal with Next Level Distribution (formerly Audio America) as part of their expansion phase into home entertainment seating.
These deals are in addition to the great progress we have been making with our HTSA, AiN Group and AVB/BrandSource programs here. In less than 6-months’ time we have shipped hundreds of recliners. I don’t know of any other CE/CI channel vendor that launched during this tumultuous year that is exhibiting the kind of success that RowOne is! We are being referred to by our partners as “the vendor brand launch success story of the pandemic year!”
MJ: What silver lining do you see for our industry during the time of Coronavirus?
TG: Because of the ‘stay at home orders’ and related ‘cocooning at home’ across the majority of the nation, the CI/CE industry has enjoyed incredible sales of outdoor home entertainment.
Because of the next surge in COVID-19 cases and cooler outdoor temperatures across most of the USA, consumers essentially are now more than ever advised to stay at home and indoors. Many of the CI/CE channel retailers have been in business for more than 10 years – there’s never been a better time for them to examine their sales history for opportunities to upgrade existing home entertainment systems that they’ve sold. The combination of using their past database and upcoming cold weather creates the perfect storm for indoor home entertainment sales including home entertainment and home theater seating over the next few months.
MJ: Anything else you would like our readers to know about RowOne?
TG: Value, reliability, features and innovation are virtues that we focus on at RowOne.
For us, part of ‘having a vision’ means we are always looking for the next unique tech… hint: stay tuned for the next innovative features and styles from us coming this holiday season and in early 2021!
We don’t focus solely on the ‘home theater seating opportunity’ per se; we remind our dealers how the seating can be configured not only as rows for home theater seating but also configured for unique sectionals of furniture, standalone loungers and the unique features that our line can bring to their clientele.
I recently caught up with RowOne CEO Todd Girdis to talk about the RowOne relaunch, the effect of the Coronavirus on his business, and the latest product lines. Part 1.
Maureen Jenson: Congratulations on the RowOne relaunch! Tell our readers a little something about the company’s history?
Todd Girdis: 10-years ago Robert Cribbs acquired RowOne from Texas-based home theater retailer TheaterXtreme after they closed their doors. This initially established the RowOne Direct Collection of chair styles. He grew the seating collections and added wood products such as cinebars and second and third row risers.
I worked for RowOne from 2017 – 2019 as their Director of Sales and Marketing. This was an exciting time, growing the company to the point of being named a Top 5 seating brand in the 2018 CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis. We are very proud of this given the many highly recognized seating companies that have occupied the space for decades.
After a brief change in ownership, earlier this year I stepped-in to acquire the company and every day since we’ve been busy reconnecting with dealers and making refinements to several of our Direct Collection chair styles.
MJ: What prompted the relaunch and why now?
TG: Maureen, I say this all the time: I truly love this industry. I started by founding a CI/CE firm in 2001. Since those days, I also worked for manufacturers, buying groups and service providers in the CEDIA channel. When I had the opportunity to purchase RowOne I jumped at the chance. I really believe in the RowOne brand and what we bring to the CI/CE retailers. And most of all I want us to have fun doing this! We are selling a fun product – powered reliable recliners with innovative tech to consumers who want to enjoy spending time at home with family and/or friends while being entertained despite the impact to their lives as a result of COVID-19. What’s better than that?
I’m energized to continue the positive momentum that we created during my earlier leadership with the company. The message I want to share with CI/CE retailers is that we are, supporting you and providing profitable competitive home entertainment and home theater furniture styles consumers love while we assist you with specifying designs and configurations for your customers’ residence. Furthermore, there simply has not been a better time to present furniture seating solutions in years. This due to the cooler outdoor temperatures and the desire of consumers to have indoor home entertainment options for their families and friends over the next three months!
MJ: How has the Coronavirus affected your plans and how are you pushing through this unprecedented time?
TG: Well while certainly no one ever plans to re-launch a company just as a pandemic hits (said laughing); it didn’t hurt us, it maybe even helped us. I say this because for the first time in ages dealers had the time to take a deep breath and were excited to hear about the benefits to the end-results of our seating. Plus, as mentioned in the previous question, there is an unprecedented opportunity as now 3/4 of the nation is going into the cold-weather season. The indoor home theater and home entertainment season is really heating up. So, we made sure to have an ample inventory in the US and we have that in the warehouse now.
MJ: How are your product lines meeting the needs of today’s integrator?
TG: The seating styles that dealers and homeowners have come to love over the years will remain. This includes our Revolution, Prestige, Plaza II, and Galaxy II series from our RowOne Direct Collection. We’ve made some refinements here and there that dealers and homeowners love.
Prestige Seating
To the heart of your question, our mission statement is Home Entertainment with a Vision. What we are talking about with respect to “vision” is giving the integrators the seating solutions to position against the retail furniture competition. In other words doing all that we can to make sure that our seating offerings are market competitive or market unique as well as our offering other surprise and delight features so that the homeowner will purchase from the CI/CE retailer and not the furniture retailer.
For example, If you look at our seating configuration for sofas our center seat doesn’t eliminate the power recline feature where the furniture industry seating is just the opposite.
If you look at our Revolution chair style — our crown jewel of seating styles — we felt it should have something unique in the industry so we incorporated a neat feature wherein the cup holder and base rails provide a 3-step dimmable operation to improve the viewing experience so the lighting effect doesn’t impede upon the screen image.
From the standpoint of seating coverings, we upgraded our Plaza II model from a bonded leather to a polyurethane fabric because you no longer see bonded leather in the furniture industry. We don’t want our dealers to be selling product that is no longer market competitive!
Stay tuned next week as Todd and I discuss why there is no reason a dealer should lose the home entertainment seating/home theater seating sale to a furniture store! Part Two Here
Maureen Jenson
RowOne Marketing Group and Next Level Distribution
Add to this, substantial progress with HTSA, the AiN Group and AVB/BrandSource CE/CI channel dealers since the brand’s relaunch just 6-months ago, and RowOne makes a strong case for the title of ‘The Most Successful CE/CI Vendor Brand Launch of the Pandemic Year’
Home theater and entertainment seating company RowOne® — which relaunched February under the new ownership of former Director of Sales and Marketing Todd Girdis and began shipping in August — is making all the right moves. For its significant accomplishments within such a short period of time the company is being recognized within the consumer electronics and custom integration channels as ‘The Most Successful CE/CI Vendor Brand Launch of the Pandemic Year.’
Out of the gate, RowOne came to market with a fulfillment model that differs from competitors in the custom channel: stockpiling inventory in Michigan, delivering in 10 business days or less (Continental US), and offering an optional exclusive Last Mile Service delivering to the residence in 15 – 20 business days. Also unusual for a furniture vendor is RowOne’s new mobile-optimized website with dealer portal (upcoming) that enables placing and tracking orders in real-time. This provides access to Audio Advice’s free interactive Home Theater Designer™ 3D tool which lets dealers spec-in system components, seating configurations, and more. RowOne is the only seating vendor in the program.
In other significant news, this month RowOne began doing business with Best Buy. Initially, 152 US Magnolia Home Theater In-Store showrooms have the brand’s Direct Collection entry-level Galaxy II and step-up level Prestige models on display with additional stores being added in the future. “Having been fully vetted to meet the stringent requirements of this #1 CI/CE retailer, we are very proud to be approved as a vendor partner,” said RowOne CEO Girdis. “Best Buy offers the industry-lead CE/CI brands and their Magnolia Home Theater staff are experts in technologies and trends.”
RowOne has entered into an agreement with Nationwide Marketing Group. “After tracking RowOne’s progress this summer, we quickly recognized the potential they could deliver to the 250+ CI channel dealers in our Home Technology Specialists Nationwide (HTSN) division,” said Hank Alexander, director of HTSN. “And now is the perfect time to partner with a preferred home entertainment seating partner like RowOne, as demand for home theaters is through the roof.”
“Todd Girdis is a strong advocate for independent retailers and also wants consumers to enjoy fun and inviting indoor home entertainment experiences with their families and friends,” added Alexander. “He’s done an amazing job of revitalizing the RowOne brand, and we look forward to working together in 2021 and beyond.”
RowOne has inked a distribution deal with Next Level Distribution (formerly Audio America) which has 6 distribution centers. “As part of our new and elevated vision for the future we are focused on connecting retailers with leading brands and are thrilled to announce our expansion into home entertainment seating with RowOne,” said Next Level Distribution CEO Jonathan Elster.
RowOne’s 4 Styles of Home Entertainment Seating
Revolution is the ultimate in quality and comfort with an abundance of features including all the standard features highlighted below in Plaza II and Prestige. Revolution upgrades include premium black leatheraire covering, motorized headrest, a unique 3-stop dimmable blue LED cup-holder and base rail lighting and memory button seating settings.
Revolution Sofa is a motion sofa, a workstation, and an entertainment hub. Recline to a favorite position, then adjust the headrest for ultimate comfort. Revolution sofa melds quality and comfort with an abundance of features. This includes a pull-down center seat back to reveal a tray table with cupholders, USB charging ports and 110-volt power strip. Each chair comes with deep storage arms with lighted cupholders that emit a soft blue light that romances the room. RowOne’s exclusive zipped-in ‘crumb catcher’ lining catches coins, popcorn and more for easy cleanup without moving the seat.
Prestige is already a market leader, with styling that fits any decor or lifestyle. Prestige includes all the same standard features highlighted in Plaza II. Prestige upgrades include premium black top grain leather/vinyl match covering and attractive blue LED base rail lighting.
Plaza II is one of RowOne’s best-selling chairs for style and comfort, fitting any décor or lifestyle whether in a family room or a dedicated theater room. Covered in black polyurethane fabric for the look and feel of leather, each chair with arms comes with USB charging, power recline, blue LED lighted cupholder, and deep storage arms that can hold a multitude of items such as gaming and remote controls, books and a tray table. Plush backs with pocketed coil spring seats, fully padded arms and sides provide for hours of seating comfort.
Galaxy II is the market-competitive entry-level value that allows the dealer to compete hand-in-hand with the furniture retailer. Covered in black polyurethane fabric for the look and feel of leather, each chair comes with power recline and a USB charging port.
Dealers and sales rep firms interested in learning more about selling RowOne can contact Todd Girdis by emailing todd@rowoneht.com or calling him at 734.395.3534.
About RowOne
Based near Ann Arbor, Michigan, and beginning February 2020 under the leadership and ownership of CEO Todd Girdis (formerly Director of Sales and Marketing), RowOne offers a unique line of home entertainment and home theater seating. The company’s products represent tremendous performance-to-value ratios based upon style, build-quality, feature sets, competitive pricing and 15-20 business day residential delivery anywhere in the Continental US. In 2018, RowOne was cited a top 5 home theater seating company by CEPro Magazine CEPro 100 dealers. The company’s products are available for sale by authorized dealers. For information on how to purchase, please contact RowOne via email at todd@rowoneht.com or call 734.395.3534. www.rowoneht.com
Paul Muto, Muto Communications PR agency
Direct: 631.849.4301
iPhone: 516.662.5374
twitter: @MutoCommPR
For Immediate Release
Revitalized Home Entertainment Seating Brand RowOne Gains Momentum in the CEDIA Channel
With ample inventory during COVID-19, just-in-time delivery, a new home theater configurator tool, participation in the upcoming AVB/BrandSource virtual tradeshow and more, RowOne is on the move.
Ann Arbor, MI – August 27, 2020 – Home theater and home entertainment seating company RowOne® — which relaunched February under the new ownership/direction of former Director of Sales and Marketing Todd Girdis — is showing significant momentum in the CEDIA channel. In fact, Girdis even credits the pandemic as helping give the company “a push out of the gate.”
Ample Inventory of Home Entertainment Seating / Launch of RowOne Last-Mile Service
True to Girdis’ statement in the company’s May 2020 relaunch press release, RowOne, unlike most other entertainment seating brands in the custom residential channel, will stock inventory and an ample supply at that. Girdis (now CEO) had targeted late summer for the first lot of production delivered to the company’s new warehouse located just outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is happy to report that the chairs have arrived and are ready for immediate delivery to authorized RowOne dealers.
RowOne pledges to reach any dealer or job site in the Continental US within 7-10 business days and offers an optional exclusive RowOne Last Mile Service – a convenient, scheduled delivery to a room of choice within a customer’s residence. “The ability to deliver within such a short timeframe is unusual as most seating companies don’t deliver until 8-10 weeks after receiving a purchase order. Further to this, pandemic-related supply chain issues have made those waits even longer,” says Girdis. Girdis is betting that the inventory and just-in-time delivery are key differentiators for the brand, and it seems to be paying off. RowOne and the company’s growing independent sales rep force in conjunction with HTSA, BrandSource, and AiN buying groups capitalized on dealer downtime during the earlier months of the pandemic. They presented the benefits of the brand — reconnecting with past dealers and signing new ones — with many committing to display in their showrooms and stocking the seating themselves.
Dealer Success Story – Audio Advice
North
Carolina-based Audio Advice is a prime example of this. Over recent years this established home theater retailer/AV integration company has gradually increased its relationship with RowOne from that of a small display dealer to a full gallery dealer to purchasing large inventories of RowOne seating. According to Girdis, Audio Advice has taken delivery on more than hundreds of RowOne chairs in 2020 alone and both companies are very optimistic about the future, especially given the fact that much of the country will soon be heading into winter season where home theater sales really start to heat-up again.
Home Theater Designer™ Tool
RowOne is adding Audio Advice’s just-released Home Theater Designer™ to its soon-to-be-released mobile-optimized website. This free interactive 3D tool enables users to spec-in AV gear, loudspeakers, select between rows or standalone seating and even change room dimensions. “Proper selection and placement of audio and video components, as well as dedicated home theater seating, make the difference between simply a good entertainment experience and a truly great one,” said Girdis. “The folks at Audio Advice have this figured out. Their Home Theater Designer™ is so easy-to-use and is responsive in real-time; it is the ultimate tool to bring all of this together.”
AVB / BrandSource Virtual Tradeshow
RowOne is currently the only seating brand participating in the AVB / BrandSource Virtual Tradeshow taking place August 30 – September 1. “We are so very excited to share with members the unique benefits of the RowOne line and launch of our Last Mile Service,” said Girdis.
RowOne Seating Line: 4 Styles of Home Entertainment Seating: Galaxy II, Plaza II, Prestige and Revolution Galaxy II is the market-competitive entry-level value that allows the dealer to compete hand-in-hand with the furniture retailer. Covered in black polyurethane fabric for the look and feel of leather, each chair with arms comes with power recline and a USB charging port.
Plaza II is one of RowOne’s best-selling chairs for style and comfort, fitting any décor or lifestyle whether in a family room or a dedicated theater room. Covered in black polyurethane fabric for the look and feel of leather, each chair with arms comes with USB charging, power recline, and deep storage arms that can hold a multitude of items such as gaming and remote controls, books, and a tray table. Plush backs with pocketed coil spring seats, fully padded arms, and sides provide for hours of seating comfort.
Prestige is already a market leader, with styling that fits any decor or lifestyle. Prestige includes all the same standard features highlighted in Plaza II. Prestige upgrades include premium black top grain leather/vinyl match covering and attractive base rail lighting.
Revolution Sofa is a motion sofa, a workstation, and an entertainment hub. Recline to a favorite position, then adjust the headrest for ultimate comfort. Revolution melds quality and comfort with an abundance of features. This includes a pull-down center sofa seat to reveal a tray table with cupholders, USB charging ports, and 110-volt power strip. Deep storage arms with lighted cupholders emit a soft blue light that romances the room. RowOne’s exclusive zipped-in ‘crumb catcher’ lining catches coins, popcorn, and more for easy cleanup without moving the seat.
Revolution is the ultimate in quality and comfort with an abundance of features including all the standard features highlighted above in Plaza II and Prestige. Revolution upgrades include premium black leatheraire covering, motorized headrest, base rail lighting, and memory button seating settings. Dealers and sales rep firms interested in learning more about selling RowOne can contact Todd Girdis by emailing todd@rowoneht.com or calling him at 734.395.3534.
About RowOne
Based near Ann Arbor, Michigan, and beginning February 2020 under the leadership and ownership of CEO Todd Girdis (formerly Director of Sales and Marketing), RowOne offers a unique line of home entertainment seating. The company’s products represent tremendous performance-to-value ratios based upon style, build-quality, feature sets, competitive pricing, and 7-10 business day delivery anywhere in the Continental US. In 2018, RowOne was cited a top 5 home theater seating company by CEPro Magazine CEPro 100 dealers. The company’s products are available for sale by authorized dealers. For information on how to purchase, please contact RowOne via email at todd@rowoneht.com or call 734.395.3534. www.rowoneht.com
RowOne Media Contact
Paul Muto, Muto Communications
Direct: 631.849.4301
iPhone: 516.662.5374
Twitter: @MutoCommPR
Home Entertainment Seating Company RowOne Changes Ownership
‘Keeping it in the family’ so to speak, former company sales and marketing director Todd Girdis acquires the brand, readies for late summer deliveries
Ann Arbor, MI – May 12, 2020 – Home theater seating company RowOne has relaunched with its former Director of Sales and Marketing Todd Girdis leading the charge as new owner and CEO. Since acquiring the company from founder Robert Cribbs in February of this year, Todd and team are busy supporting dealers, making some refinements to existing models, expanding the independent manufacturer sales representative network, and readying for late summer product deliveries.
Todd is already well-known by the company’s dealer base, many of whom are members of the Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) and Authorized Integrators Network (AiN) buying groups, both of which RowOne is a participating manufacturer, an effort led by Todd during his tenure as the company’s Director of Sales and Marketing from 2017 – 2019.
A former AV integrator himself, Todd played an integral role in significantly growing RowOne to the point of achieving a top 5 home theater seating company ranking in CE Pro Magazine’s 2018 CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis. This is quite a feat given the nearly two dozen brands that serve the custom residential category, many of them highly recognized name brands that have occupied the space for decades.
“I’m energized to continue the positive momentum,” says Todd. “We are open for business, actively catching dealers up on the new RowOne, supporting customer service, and specifying designs and configurations for customers’ theaters. Many of the RowOne Direct Collection seating styles that dealers and homeowners have come to love over the years will remain, and will be available for fulfillment as soon as late summer, and we are making some exciting enhancements to several models that are sure to make RowOne even that much more ‘the talk of the town’”.
RowOne will be stocking ample inventory near Ann Arbor, Michigan where the company is now based, making it possible to reach any dealer in the Continental US within 7 business days. If the dealer prefers, RowOne’s White Glove Delivery Service direct to customer’s homes will also be offered to all dealers.
According to Todd, the ability to deliver seating within such a short timeframe is a prime example of how RowOne differentiates from competitors who traditionally don’t deliver until 8-10 weeks after receiving an order. This investment required to stock such a substantial inventory is literally unheard of.
“Todd now owning and steering RowOne is a such great news,” says Stan Matysiak, president of the Authorized Integrators Network Group (AiN) whose dealers are focused on the security and home builder markets. “AiN and RowOne have a history of successful collaboration in developing and implementing programs that help dealers’ grow their businesses. We are excited about all the possibilities that working with new-and-improved RowOne brings to our network.”
HTSA executive director Jon Robbins said, “In the Residential Custom Integration space, we have an exclusive partnership between RowOne and HTSA and are looking forward to the future.”
Part of the relaunch also includes RowOne engaging the network of CEDIA channel dealers and expanding upon the number of authorized dealers offering the company’s seating. Interested dealers can contact Todd Girdis by emailing todd@rowoneht.com or calling him at 734.395.3534.
“People are spending more time at home cocooning and wanting to upgrade their entertainment room or install a dedicated theater yet are mindful of costs,” said Todd. “We passionately design every seat with much emphasis placed on aesthetics, conveniences, build quality and price. Each RowOne chair is as wonderful to look at as it is to spend hours in. All are available as a sofa, loveseat or in rows for a dedicated theater room.”
RowOne – 4 Styles of Home Entertainment Seating: Plaza II, Prestige, Revolution and Galaxy II
RowOne Prestige Seats
Plaza II is one of RowOne’s best-selling chairs for style and comfort, fitting any décor or lifestyle whether in a family room or a dedicated theater room. Covered in leatheraire for the look and feel of leather, each chair with arms comes with USB charging, power recline, and deep storage arms that can hold a multitude of items such as gaming and remote controls, books, and a tray table. Plush backs with pocketed coil spring seats, fully padded arms, and sides provide for hours of seating comfort.
Prestige is already a market leader, with styling that fits any decor or lifestyle. Prestige includes all the same standard features highlighted in Plaza II. Prestige upgrades include premium leather/vinyl match covering and attractive base rail lighting.
Revolution Sofa is a motion sofa, a workstation, and an entertainment hub. Recline to a favorite position, then adjust the headrest for ultimate comfort. Revolution melds quality and comfort with an abundance of features. This includes a pull-down center sofa seat to reveal a tray table with cupholders, USB charging ports and 110-volt power strip. Deep storage arms with lighted cupholders emit a soft blue light that romances the room. RowOne’s exclusive zipped-in ‘crumb catcher’ lining catches coins, popcorn, and more for easy cleanup without moving the seat.
Revolution is the ultimate in quality and comfort with an abundance of features including all the standard features highlighted above in Plaza II and Prestige. Revolution upgrades include premium leatheraire covering, motorized headrest, base rail lighting, and memory button seating settings.
Galaxy II is the market-competitive entry-level value that allows the dealer to compete hand-in-hand with the furniture retailer. Covered in dura-gel for the look and feel of leather, each chair with arms comes with power recline and a USB charging port.
Another part of RowOne’s relaunch is filling out a network of independent manufacturer sales rep firms to work directly with the AV integrators/home theater installation companies. Interested firms can contact Todd Girdis by emailing todd@rowoneht.com or calling 734.395.3534.
About RowOne
Based near Ann Arbor, Michigan, and beginning February 2020 under the leadership and ownership of CEO Todd Girdis (formerly Director of Sales and Marketing), RowOne offers a unique line of home entertainment seating. The company’s products represent tremendous performance-to-value ratios based upon style, build-quality, feature sets, competitive pricing and 7 business day delivery anywhere in the Continental US. In 2018, RowOne was cited a top 5 home theater seating company by CEPro Magazine CEPro 100 dealers. The company’s products are available for sale by authorized dealers. For information on how to purchase, please contact RowOne via email at todd@rowoneht.com or call 734.395.3534. www.rowoneht.com
RowOne Media Contact
Paul Muto, Muto Communications
Direct: 631.849.4301
iPhone: 516.662.5374
Twitter: @MutoCommPR
