American Eco-Living isn’t new to the furniture game, as it’s been around for over 30 years in the indoor and outdoor space, primarily focusing on OEM furnishings overseas.
But at the Casual Market Atlanta, the company is launching its outdoor furnishings brand, Murcano, which went on sale to leading retailers beginning in May.
The team is headed up by John Ridgeway, formerly vice president of sales and marketing at Real Flame, as the new CEO of North America, and Jasmina Grbic, who spent 12 years at Overstock, as director of North America global sourcing.
Based in Dongguan, China, with its North American headquarters in Dallas, American Eco-Living has more than 30 years of outdoor furnishings manufacturing and design experience and a 517,000-square-foot production facility in China.
Murcano entered the North American market this summer with new collections ideal for online and independent store programs, as this marks the company’s first entrance into direct-to-consumer.
“When developing the brand, we landed on a selection of products that Jasmina was instrumental in curating and has resonated very well with the retailers,” Ridgeway says. “This is something that we’re doing from the ground up, but again, and I’m working off of old relationships with all the major retailers, which is why we’ve had several quality dealers come on board already.”
The company has expanded its production capabilities with a facility in Indonesia specializing in teak and woven products, as well as an operation in Vietnam focused on acacia wood and weaving. The company also opened a distribution center in South Carolina, which allows them to cut lead times and better serve their customers with their line of Murcano outdoor products.
“The location in South Carolina is a central hub for freight due to its easy access to multiple major interstates and highways, as well as its robust rail and inland port capacities,” says Grbic. “The team in the family-owned distribution center has years of experience servicing both online and brick-and-mortar locations throughout the U.S., understands the importance of on-time deliveries and is easily integrated into the key retailer systems we already have on board.”
Murcano’s line includes a full range of outdoor seating, dining and accent pieces in teak, aluminum, acacia and premium high-density polyethylene with woven, sling and cushioned options. The assortment hits a range of price points, from mid- to upper-middle and high end, with factory-direct pricing designed to enhance retailer margins.
Seating options include the Cassara chat set in solid Grade A teak with plush weather-resistant olefin fabric cushions and rope-weave back, and the eco-friendly Eastlake chat set in premium HDPE with a two-toned gray and hand-brushed teak finish and weather-resistant olefin fabric cushions.
In dining, the Riverdale seven-piece dining set is made of solid teak with rope weave on chair backs and weather-resistant olefin seat cushions, and the Modena three-piece bar set in powder-coated aluminum boasts rope-weave bar stools that are UV-resistant for up to 3,000 hours.
The company is also showcasing a variety of other outdoor products, from pergolas to outdoor kitchens, electric outdoor heaters and more, at the Casual Market.
“Our assortment reflects our 30-plus years of global outdoor furniture experience. Planning involved a depth of market data and consumer research, along with the art of choosing the right designs and styles, without overreaching into a vast array of colors or looks that would bog the program down,” Ridgeway says. “We focused not only on the consumer and their tastes, but how our products would align with the retailer to meet their objectives in sales, increased revenues per sale, profitability, quality and dependability. Based on our early partnerships, we have delivered in all areas.”
Murcano is displaying new products during Casual Market Atlanta in Showroom 6C6, Building 1.
