Ashley has purchased the intellectual property rights to Berkline. The sale is supposed to be finalized today. Purchase price 6.07 million. Please note that although Ashley is a big name in furniture, their strategy is imported, lower priced products that often have to replaced after a few years. Once they begin to roll out products under the Berkline name (probably within the next two months), please pay close attention to the construction, warranty and overall quality before making a purchase.
Ashley Buys Berkline IP Rights
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I'm pretty certain Ashley had no interest in the buildings, equipment, or personnel. They just wanted the name. So 6M is about all that anyone would have paid for the intellectual rights. I know its more than the former CEO thought it would sell for. I was just hoping it would be bought by a quality manufacturer that would put a good product in the market place.
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And what is with the Lane branded merchandise that uses plagiarized Berkline marketing materials?
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Yeah I'm a little confused, I thought Lane had bought Berkline, but no??
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Lane did not purchase Berkline, but rather got an agreement with the Chinese factory where the Berkline was making their imported groups. Now Lane is Making them - same chairs with their (Lane) name on it.
There is no a patent on style designs, so everyone is doing whatever they want to. To be honest I do not even know what exactly Ashley paid 6 mil for - just the Berkline name?
There is no a patent on style designs, so everyone is doing whatever they want to. To be honest I do not even know what exactly Ashley paid 6 mil for - just the Berkline name?
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Yes. From my understanding it is the Berkline name and any Intellectual Property and goodwill associated with the actual name/brand "Berkline."
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From my understanding Ashley purchases kits from overseas and assembles them here in the states. I'm not sure what they plan to do with the Berkline name.
You will see a bunch of Berkline knockoffs. There is one particular company that will be producing similar chairs but of higher quality than Berkline. These will be excellent products for a similar price as Berkline and be on the market (but with fewer options) in the Fall. They have done a great job of coming up with several nice styles similar to former Berkline models.
Other companies are jumping (or trying to jump) in the market, but you will see it flush out and probably see 2 or 3 manufacturers take over the majority of the market within the next 6 months to a year. Everyone else will likely not get enough market share to make it worthwhile.
| To be honest I do not even know what exactly Ashley paid 6 mil for - just the Berkline name? |
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| So do you think that Ashely will be manufacturing the same product designs from Berkline? What happens to all the BK knock offs since the demise of the company? |
You will see a bunch of Berkline knockoffs. There is one particular company that will be producing similar chairs but of higher quality than Berkline. These will be excellent products for a similar price as Berkline and be on the market (but with fewer options) in the Fall. They have done a great job of coming up with several nice styles similar to former Berkline models.
Other companies are jumping (or trying to jump) in the market, but you will see it flush out and probably see 2 or 3 manufacturers take over the majority of the market within the next 6 months to a year. Everyone else will likely not get enough market share to make it worthwhile.
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What company will that be?
I am thinking about some Berklines but maybe I will hold off to see what this company has to offer.
What company will that be?
I am thinking about some Berklines but maybe I will hold off to see what this company has to offer.
@ KEN
It was 2008-9. Berkline was in the midst of trying to stay competitive without losing their "core"(so to speak).
That brief relationship with Ashley is probably what prompted the total buyout of the name.
It is the same thing with Ford. Ford and Hyundai each own 45% of Kia. So when Ford needs a "cheap" car to sell in small markets, they simply get a badge engineered car from Kia.
I wouldn't be surprised if Ford brings out another variation of the Kia Soul. The Soul is selling well(better in smaller markets...as opposed to here), and I bet when the Escape finally gets a real re-do, it might come back as a "Ford Soul"...
And that "Ford" that owns 45% of Kia is not FoMoCo, it is Ford...as in the family...(like the Ford family, not FoMoCo, owns the Detroit Lions)
And here is a political kicker...guess why the US really wants Qaddafi "out" of Libya???
Qaddafi owns 7% of FIAT. (that one is the biggest sore point, but Qaddafi also owns between .5-3% of Nestle, Uni-Bev and lots of the "old" GMAC debt)
It was 2008-9. Berkline was in the midst of trying to stay competitive without losing their "core"(so to speak).
That brief relationship with Ashley is probably what prompted the total buyout of the name.
It is the same thing with Ford. Ford and Hyundai each own 45% of Kia. So when Ford needs a "cheap" car to sell in small markets, they simply get a badge engineered car from Kia.
I wouldn't be surprised if Ford brings out another variation of the Kia Soul. The Soul is selling well(better in smaller markets...as opposed to here), and I bet when the Escape finally gets a real re-do, it might come back as a "Ford Soul"...
And that "Ford" that owns 45% of Kia is not FoMoCo, it is Ford...as in the family...(like the Ford family, not FoMoCo, owns the Detroit Lions)
And here is a political kicker...guess why the US really wants Qaddafi "out" of Libya???
Qaddafi owns 7% of FIAT. (that one is the biggest sore point, but Qaddafi also owns between .5-3% of Nestle, Uni-Bev and lots of the "old" GMAC debt)
Well you know...when you commit atrocities...that is one thing.
When you commit atrocities and you happen to own a portion of a company that also owns part of a company still owned by the US government...
Yeah, the US has a "double standard" here. Imagine if Qaddafi had anything to do with Darfur...
When you commit atrocities and you happen to own a portion of a company that also owns part of a company still owned by the US government...
Yeah, the US has a "double standard" here. Imagine if Qaddafi had anything to do with Darfur...
I have an Ashley leather reclining loveseat now and it's not a very comfortable seat. Have been looking on line at Berkline/Lane to replace it. Maybe I'm going to start to look more at Palliser and forget about Berkline and all the up's and downs that go with it.
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