Haworth’s Poltrona Frau Group announced at Salone del Mobile that it would acquire the majority share of JANUS et Cie, the contemporary outdoor and interior furniture company founded by designer-entrepreneur Janice Feldman in 1978. JANUS et Cie now has a turnover of an estimated $100 million and works via 16 showrooms and 40 sales offices worldwide.
JANUS et Cie will continue to operate independently, with Feldman retaining a significant equity stake and staying on as the company’s CEO. Paul Warren will remain in his current role as COO. Both will report to Dario Rinero, CEO of Poltrona Frau Group.
“We are fully committed to take maximum advantage of our shared resources and priorities with Poltrona Frau Group and Haworth,” says Feldman. “The solid and respected global scale of Poltrona Frau Group and Haworth will facilitate our rapid long-term expansion piece offering forward as an example of superb design and superior craftsmanship. Furthermore, JANUS et Cie is the proud recipient of countless design awards and is celebrated by designers, architects, businesses and the most discriminating consumers worldwide as the definitive source for site, garden and casual furnishings.”
“I am particularly happy that we have reached this agreement after a long journey of discovery,” says Rinero. “Through the acquisition of JANUS et Cie, we will enter the important segment of outdoor furniture, attaining a global leadership position, thanks to the value of the brand and the size of the company.”
He adds, “What appeals to me most is JANUS et Cie’s enormous potential for expansion, as today, the brand is mostly present in North America and still to be substantially developed in Asia and Europe. The value of this acquisition will therefore be reflected in the advantage that JANUS et Cie’s products will benefit from Poltrona Frau Group and Haworth’s international sales and distribution platforms.”
Franco Bianchi, Haworth president and CEO, shares, “I am honored that JANUS et Cie has chosen us to continue its extraordinary success story. This acquisition reinforces our continued desire to invest in our Lifestyle Design division, which has just completed a second successful year of Haworth ownership. We remain focused on innovation and premium design translated into solutions that anticipate customer needs. The acquisition of JANUS et Cie will also offer further development opportunities for our dealers in North America.”
