Jasper Cabinet helps to revive Theater Xtreme brand

by Julia Bauer | The Grand Rapids Press

LOWELL -- As a venerable residential furniture company long known for decorative wooden secretaries, ornate desks and "jewelry for the home," Jasper Cabinet Co.'s parent firm now is aiming for the home theater business.
JC International figures to invest less than $100,000 to acquire the trademarks, intellectual property and inventory of liquidated Newark, Del.-based Theater Xtreme Entertainment Group Inc.
Theater Xtreme had been partly owned by electronics retailer Circuit City Stores Inc. Theater Xtreme and Circuit City partnered to purchase Jasper Cabinet from owner Robert Cribbs in October. But the recession and Circuit City's financial woes unraveled the deal.
"Like a brass ring, it was just 3 inches out of reach," he said.
Circuit City filed for bankruptcy in November and liquidated in mid-January. Theater Xtreme filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in December.
"Everybody knew things were a little shaky with Circuit City," Cribbs said, "but we thought they would come out of it."
Cribbs made the securing bid in bankruptcy court for Theater Xtreme last month. He considered making an earlier try during bankruptcy proceeding but had been scared off by reports of increasingly high competing bids.
The 57-year-old is a former Hekman Furniture Co. executive who had joined a group of investors to revive Jasper Cabinet, which had closed in 2002.
Famous for creating the curio cabinet, Jasper Cabinet was going to help expand home theater furniture sales for using excess Circuit City showroom space left when the retailer stopped selling appliances. Theatre Xtreme wanted to market Jasper home theater cabinetry, wall systems and chairs.
As recently as 2007, Theater Extreme had annual sales of $6 million. Now, like with Jasper, Cribbs finds himself helping revive its brand.
Theatre Xtreme' chain of four company-owned and 11 franchise stores installed home theaters and the furnishings and sold projection-format screens and seating. Cribbs plans to continue marketing Theatre Xtreme's Row One furniture. After all, the furniture for home theaters is a big part of the package, he said.
Ranging in cost from $6,000 to $90,000 for a full-blown theater setup, for $90,000, the Row One lines offer seating, Jasper cabinetry, notched chair rails and crown molding to hide electronics wiring.
"On a typical basement, you can be in and out in a day," Cribbs said of the installations.
With the recent acquisition, he figures he has selling to do.
He spent this week at the NeoCon office furniture show, calling on furniture and electronic stores while in Chicago. He's off next to Delaware to bring back Theater Xtreme's inventory.
He hopes to sell the furniture to the remaining Theatre Xtreme franchises, including one in Auburn Hills. He plans to show Row One offerings at other furniture shows. He is looking into relocating into larger space in Grand Rapids.
Jasper has nine full-time employees and a 22-person sales force. Among others manufacturing its products, it works locally with Superior Furniture and The Taylor Co.
"My whole plan, as we grow the home theater business, is to try to use more Grand Rapids suppliers to create the product for me," Cribbs said.

CASE STUDY Back for a Encore: Jasper Cabinet Company

Here's an article from The Grand Rapids Press:

Former Hekman exec helps revive Jasper line   Saturday, July 30, 2005By Rob Kirkbride The Grand Rapids Press CASCADE TOWNSHIP -- When Jasper Cabinet Co. closed its doors in 2002, 125 workers in southern Indiana lost their jobs. That did not sit well with Robert Cribbs. So when he was given the opportunity to join a group of investors to revive the name and well-known product line from bankruptcy, the Cascade Township resident jumped at the chance. In an era when furniture makers are chasing cheap labor to places such as China, India and Vietnam, Cribbs is bucking the trend. "I think these furniture companies moving factories overseas are making a knee-jerk decision," said the former Hekman Furniture Co. executive. "Yes, furniture made in the United States is more expensive. But look at what you get for the money." Cribbs is breathing new life into the Jasper Cabinet brand, famous for creating the curio cabinet. And he says the company will succeed using an American work force. Jasper Cabinet also is showing its new line of about 35 to 40 products at the inaugural Las Vegas Furniture Show this month. The furniture is being manufactured in Jasper, Ind., and a Amish-run furniture factory is being built in southern Indiana. It is expected to open in August. And Cribbs is looking for manufacturers in West Michigan with extra capacity to make dining room and home entertainment furniture for Jasper Cabinet as well. "At a time when so many furniture plants are being closed, here we are opening one. This is a great old name in the furniture industry," he said. Once one of the top cabinet-making companies in the world, Jasper Cabinet never recovered from a crippling strike in 1999. The company based in Jasper closed its doors in 2002. Cribbs, 52, invested a lifetime to the furniture industry. His grandfather, father and two brothers worked in the industry. Cribbs' career started at Broyhill. He also worked for Stanley Furniture, La-Z-Boy and Kimball Home Furniture before working as vice president of sales and marketing at Hekman. Jasper Cabinet expects to compete with foreign-made furniture based on customization. "If someone wants a picture of their cat painted on an armoire, they can send it to us, and we can put it on," he said. The most expensive piece of furniture, a wine armoire with a Van Gogh reproduction on the doors and a built-in wine cooler, is expected to retail at about $3,900. Cribbs' goal for the first year is $2 million in sales. Within a few years, he expects the company to exceed $10 million. Jasper Cabinet is not turning its back on imports completely. The company also will sell some furniture with foreign-made components that will be assembled in the United States. © 2005 Grand Rapids Press. Used with permission Copyright 2005 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.