How we work with Manufacturers
Our long-standing expertise in the U.S. furniture market has earned us the reputation of being one of the leading names in furniture sourcing in the US, Canada, and Latin America. Our relationships with retailers enabled us to seek out manufacturers that wanted to sell their products abroad.
We work with manufacturers that desire to sell into the U.S. market, or manufacturers that are already doing business in the U.S., but require assistance in compliance, quality control, or product expansion.
U.S. Product Standards
Domificus can Guide Manufacturers on Requirements.
Domificus can educate manufacturers on the requirements for furniture standards. Especially large retailers require manufacturers to adhere to strict guidelines. Such requirements include overall sizes and weight on case goods, minimum depth and height of drawers, drawer supports, acceptable finishes, sizes, hardware requirements, and so forth. Textiles or leather requirements on upholstery, foam density seating depth, and height must be carefully observed.
It is also very common that suppliers do not take into consideration the final assembly process during the delivery to the consumer. If a bed takes too long to be assembled, or the mirror brackets don’t line up, screws are missing or handles are not properly applied, it can lead to service calls or damages, resulting in chargebacks to the supplier.
Compliance & Safety Standards
While it is necessary to comply with all US Government Compliance Requirements,
many of the big box retailers have additional requirements. Before a manufacturer can be accepted as a vendor, the supplier will have to comply with a series of requisites, including but not limited to:
Certificates and Mandatory Third-Party Testing
Hazardous & Toxic Substances
This includes but is not limited to lead paint in furniture which must be limited to 90 parts per million, formaldehyde that can be present in some lacquers and particleboards, urea-formaldehyde resins in furniture, and so on. Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), is classified as a toxic flame retardant, which is sometimes used to treat textiles. Perfluorooctanoic acid is sometimes used in leathers for waterproofing and Phthalates can also be found in furniture upholstery.
While some toxic substances are still under review, manufacturers should plan for the future, avoiding even potentially hazardous materials to reduce exposure to consumers. Information regarding toxic substances and chemicals can be found in Proposition 65.
Wood in Furniture - Formaldehyde (TSCA - CARB Requirements)
Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products was created to reduce the vulnerability of formaldehyde transmission from some wood products or components imported into the United States.
Sharp Points and Edges on Children’s Products
To eliminate a hazardous condition to children, in which products may present a potential risk of injury due to sharp components in manufactured furniture.
Furniture Tip-Over (The STURDY Act & More)
Serious injuries, even fatalities among children have occurred due to furniture tipping over or items on top of the furniture, like TV sets, falling on children. Unfortunately, the manufacturing requirements are not set in stone as of yet, but new proposed legislation to prevent furniture tip-over on dressers, chests and other case-goods is underway. Most, if not all big-box retailers require stringent testing, compliance, and furniture stability labeling. Please contact Domificus for detailed information on these requirements.
Uniform Law Labeling
Many furniture items require special law labels. Some labels pertain to filling materials in bedding, bean bags, and upholstered furniture (including headboards or upholstered beds), while other labels pertain to upholstered furniture flammability, formaldehyde emissions, and other labeling requirements. While each state has its own regulations, every product entering the United States must be labeled with the country of origin.
Ethical Production
Retailers are more and more concerned about ethical production. Furniture companies in the U.S. inspire the use of sustainable materials, demand factories to adhere to child labor or forced labor screening, require compliance and security to national law, and promote security, safety, and health in the workplace.