New Classic Times - 2nd Quarter - 2022

2nd Quarter NEWSletter / April - June 2022

New ClaTshse ic Times

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Jean Tong We were very pleased with our June Open House results and are planning on more to come. July will be our last showing at
the Las Vegas Market. In the future, we will invest in customer visits to our corporate showroom for invitation-only markets
President like our Open House. My son Jackson Liu is shadowing me during his summer internship here at New Classic, learning about
the operations of all departments. It takes many talented people to keep NEW CLASSIC an essential and valued vendor to our
retailers and a fulfilling workplace. I am happy to show off our team to him! We are looking at growing during the 3rd quarter,
as freight rates drop and product availability is more stable.

Building Win/Win Partnerships Collaborate and contribute to our mutual success. I’m a die-hard

Michele McPherson | VP/GM Dodger fan and am inspired by Tommy Lasorda’s outlook: “There are
three kinds of people in this world: people who make it happen, people
who watch what happens, and people who wonder what happened” Let’s
all make it happen!” 

Positioned for Success

Scott Hill | President of Sales &
Jim Whitehouse | VP Sales of Eastern US

We saw some easing up of transit times and a slight reduction in Business continues to be spotty across
ocean freight which we hope will translate to more stable rates. We the country, but we witnessed at the
have many more of our best sellers in stock. We changed our in-stock Fontana Show that dealers will buy if the
logic, so more goods are available immediately to our customers. We pricing is reasonable enough. I’m excited to
reduced prices a bit in March and have maintained that level, bringing have CSR’s working the phones and reaching
some consistency to pricing. out to customers with specials, asking for
On the more challenging end, inflation and world events have softened add-on sales, etc., and I can see this as a
the market for furniture to a more “normal” level compared to last year’s model we adopt moving forward. We are fortunate to have Jean, who has
escalated demand. Retailers have been inundated with inventory in the positioned us for success with paid-for inventory. 
previous few months, and their warehouses are full. We’ve held tight
control on incoming freight to control costs and stock and focused more “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” – Tommy Lasorda
on service and system improvements. We purchased new software to
provide more automated accounts receivable management, which will Like everyone, the supply chain issues continue to be a struggle. Oddly
save time for that very busy team. Our Customer Service Team had been now the problem is too much supply.
given new goals to engage more personally with our retailers to help build The East reported an excellent Memorial Day weekend. Retailers were
our partnerships. down from 2021 but up from 18 and 19. The good news for the retailers is
In preparation for our June Open House, Bill Dominguez and his they are operating with less staff, and at higher prices, so margins should
team spruced up our showroom, which looks fantastic. The warehouse be healthy.
has done a fabulous job managing labor, receiving inventory, and Looking forward to Q3 and Q4, we will see many of our competitors
implementing cross-training programs to gear us up for the busy season. closing out goods as they are cash and space strapped. Our Sales
In July, we will participate in our last Las Vegas Market as we refocus Team will need to go old school and talk features and benefits, no more
marketing on local shows and High Point Market. Growing Win/Win flipping a picture and quoting a price. We must make ourselves a valuable
partnerships requires us to listen to our customers, reps, and team resource for our customers to rely on during these bumpy months.
members, engage proactively, and act when we see ways to make our New Classic is strong from an inventory perspective, and our goods will
products and services more valuable to the market. Every department carry the price we are asking. Sure, competition is buying floor space;
and team member should look for ways to make that happen. anyone can give furniture away; thankfully, I have a top-notch Sales
Team that will continue to weather the rough seas and come out stronger
on the other side. 

“Life’s roughest storms prove the strength of our anchors.” - Unknown

IT Ramps Up Computer Upgrades Success Is A Steady Process

Hogen Quiel | VP IT Jose Rodriguez | Parts Department Supervisor

We are happy to announce version 3 of Considering not having a lot of inventory, especially for mechanisms and
our product API launch. This API will add electrical components, and slowing down orders, we’re still processing
features to in-store retail kiosks, such between 25 to 35 orders daily. We’re also cleaning out obsolete items and
as inventory by zone and composite completing detailed bi-weekly inventory! 
(package) products. Tom Fetterhoff
did a great job programming this new “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you
system, which will help sell New Classic plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
on retail floors. Daniel Jimenez has been
working hard to upgrade computers Red Carpet For New Introductions
and systems around the office. If you
haven’t received an upgrade yet, you Bill Dominquez | VP Research & Development
will likely receive one soon! If you have
any questions or suggestions, always
remember to contact the help desk! 

“The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t
really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.” - Bill Gates

Robust & Efficient Cross-Training Yuki He is a new addition to the Product Development Team. She
recently graduated in art design and has been helping to update our
Al Topete | Warehouse Manager assembly instructions and assisting in the design aspect of the product.
We had our second show in our Fontana Showroom and had a good
We started this quarter very busy with receiving and filling up stock. turnout from our local customers. We are now preparing for the Las Vegas
Since then, we have slowed down, allowing us to organize, focus on Market in July. The Las Vegas Market has always been a good market for
inventory accuracy, and cross-train employees making our team more our customers from Mexico, and I am sure they will stop by our showroom
robust and efficient. and buy from us. Having the products in stock is a plus; a good promotion
We are excited about our success at our local Fontana Showroom and will be the key for this market.
are ready to ship as soon as our customers confirm; with all our inventory, We will launch our Royal Classic Division in October at High Point
we expect good things to happen in the next few months. Merchandise is Market. Royal Classic will be our high-end product line from New Classic.
stored in new ways to speed up the picking process, and this accurate This category will be shown as complete collections such as a master
inventory will make it easier, faster, and more efficient when staging bedroom, matching formal dining room, upholstery, and occasional
orders. tables. I expect this division to be well received by our customers at High
A considerable part of our focus has been on local deliveries and more Point Market and bring a new look to New Classic.
ways to improve. Carlos Vasquez has done a great job communicating In addition to the Royal Classic collections, we will introduce new
with our customers, letting them know about specials, and building promotional bedrooms and dining rooms that I am sure will do well. I look
better relationships with them. Jose Rodriguez has worked very hard forward to an excellent ending to our last quarter and a bright future in
organizing our Parts Department as well; he has worked with his team 2023. 
on improvements and continues to meet deadlines. Our team is ready to
make things happen!  “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working
together is a success.” - Henry Ford
“In business, there are three types of people. Those who make it happen,
those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened.” Embracing New Training & Tech
– Tommy Lasorda

Lenna Nishiyama | A/R Manager

Our team is ready to embrace training and eager to improve our Days
Sales Outstanding (DSO). We will begin implementing a new service to
help with our collections in the coming months. We are excited and
anticipate that this will allow us to collect payments with the help of
automation. Together as an Accounting Team, we are training in all job
duties, so we can better serve all. 

“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”
- Unknown

We Have The Tools & Talent

Julia Sanchez | Customer Service Manager

Shipping continues to be a challenge out of the warehouse but has New Challenges, Green Solutions
started picking up in container direct. Rates have gone down, and space
has opened up, allowing more cans to flow in these last few weeks. Parts Jason Anguiano | Marketing Director
inventory is decreasing, so our Claims Team has been working with the
factories to add parts to containers ready to ship. The marketing department has gone “PAPERLESS.” With the
Katrina Castro was promoted to Assistant Customer Service Manager. environment and cost in mind, we moved to an all-digital catalog. We are
As she has already assisted with issues, she is now getting to know more thrilled New Classic is making an impact on our carbon footprint. Our “GO
about the direct container side of the business. GREEN” content has just begun, and we are looking for greener, cost-
We have had a few people out of the office these past weeks/ efficient ways of conducting business.
months. Luckily we have a fantastic team who has been able to keep the The new website is currently in development! The Marketing Team and
department covered. Almost every CSR has either taken on additional IT are teaming up to construct New Classic’s user-friendly, informative
territories or covered while someone is out. Thank you for your continued experience. We are updating the current catalog pages with a fresh new
support!!!  look which we plan to have completed by High Point Market along with
our new website!
“Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.” - Unknown As new introductions are coming in, the Marketing Team has worked
tirelessly to take and edit photos. Photography is undoubtedly a challenge
New Talent Takes Quick Action as new introductions arrive before a major show. Still, the Marketing
Team loves a challenge, and we are proud to say we have successfully
Han Ping | Director of Purchasing Department taken new photos and adjusted images so our customers receive the
best imagery possible.
Our Purchasing Team has a new member on board as of early April, We had a very successful FONTANA MARKET SHOW! Our team
Marguerite Kao, as purchasing assistant. She is an excellent fit for the successfully created market signs for all new products and updated
position, very detail-oriented, and takes quick action on all tasks. We are collections.
so happy that she joined the New Classic Team. The Marketing Department would like to thank the New Classic Team
The whole department is experiencing a slow shipping season, but we for their support this quarter. We want to thank CUCO, DANNY, and the
are busy cleaning up old PO’s and pushing more shipments out.  rest of the team, who assisted us in moving collections to the photo area
and staged lifestyle images. Without the team’s help, we would not be
“It always seems impossible till it is done.” – Nelson Mandela able to complete our mission to provide our Sales Team with the tools to
be successful. 
Lowest Truck Load Prices In Years
“Always work hard, never give up, and fight until the end because it’s
never really over until the whistle blows.” - Alex Morgan

Dewayne Irvin | Logistics Manager Upcomin2g022Events

The Logistics Team was down a key player for nearly a month, but LAS VEGAS SUMMER MARKET
Delphine Torre returned on 7/5.
Diesel prices are at an all-time high, but truck load prices are at the July World Market Center | Space A854
lowest they have been in years due to the economy. LTL shipment rates, 24th - 28th 475 Grand Central Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89106
on the contrary, are at record levels, with most carriers with 50% fuel
surcharge. If our customers want better freight costs, we need them to HIGH POINT FALL MARKET
ship more goods. I don’t see LTL freight costs improving anytime soon. If
we get our customers to buy more, they save on freight costs.  October High Point | New Classic Building
22nd - 26th 495 S. Hamilton, High Point, NC 27260
“If your ship doesn’t come in swim out to it” – Jonathan Winters

EmployCOeNeGsRAoTfULtAhTIeONMS onth Workiv3eRrDsQaUArRiTeEsR

MONTH OFFICE RECIPIENTS HIRE DATE NAME YEARS OF
March Brandon Kanechika SERVICE
April Katrina Castro | Alondra Reyes | Brittany Soliz 9/2/2002 Michele McPherson
May Natalie Diaz | Yesenia ‘Kat’ Ramirez 7/28/2005 Regina Ydstie 20
June Jeannie Garcia | Daniel Jimenez 8/29/2005 Julia Sanchez 17
MONTH WAREHOUSE RECIPIENTS 7/23/2008 Andy Chau 17
April Gregory Thorn | Arnoldo Gomez 9/3/2008 Beth Rodriguez 14
May Martin Martinez | Antonio Lopez 8/15/2011 14
June Hugo Ruiz | Aldo Sabalza 9/19/2011 Lazaro Cesareo Merino 11
7/17/2013 Alondra Reyes 11
Workiv2eNrDsQaUArRiTeEsR 7/15/2013 9
7/26/2013 Ivan Blas-Medina 9
HIRE DATE NAME YEARS OF 8/24/2015 Misael Guzman 9
SERVICE 9/29/2016 7
5/1/2001 Vicky Wang 7/23/2018 Hogen Quiel 6
4/19/2004 Karen Peng 21 7/30/2018 Natalie Diaz 4
6/19/2007 Al Topete 18 7/23/2018 Guadalupe Silvestre 4
6/20/2007 Feliciano Serrano-Garcia 15 7/23/2018 Fortino Alvarez 4
6/16/2008 Catalina Hernandez-Lopez 15 9/12/2018 Ramon Hernandez 4
6/16/2009 Charlie Wang 14 9/4/2018 Richard Romo 4
5/9/2011 Elizabeth Rico 13 8/17/2020 Antonio Vazquez 4
4/1/2013 Angelina Mendez 11 8/10/2020 2
5/15/2015 Lucy Lou 9 8/3/2020 Lucia Bai 2
6/8/2015 Hermes Rivera 7 8/3/2020 Martin Martinez 2
5/15/2017 Eduardo Mejia 7 8/17/2020 2
5/30/2017 Pilar Jorrin 5 8/17/2020 Juan Alfaro 2
6/19/2017 Bill Dominguez 5 8/31/2020 Dewayne Irvin 2
4/23/2018 Kevin Chen 5 7/26/2021 2
5/2/2018 Jacqueline Godoy 4 7/26/2021 Mabel Lara 1
6/15/2020 Natalie Mendez 4 7/26/2021 Jenny Miranda-Magallon 1
6/29/2020 Cristal Munguia 2 7/26/2021 1
4/1/2021 Rosendo Martinez Castro 2 7/26/2021 Gildardo Robles 1
5/24/2021 Amanda Allen 1 8/16/2021 Mario Robles 1
5/24/2021 Lindsay Diaz 1 1
1 Jim Whitehouse
Sergio Domingo
Antonio Lopez
Efren Munoz Ruiz
Arnoldo Perez Gomez
Guadalupe Rios

Luis Cesareo