Latest news with #RachelStewart
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
GW HOME: Gardner White's first Detroit store in decades merges home decor with local art
For the first time since the early 1980s, Gardner White is back in Detroit — and this time, it's bringing a whole new retail concept. The Michigan-based furniture company debuted GW HOME with a ribbon-cutting and cocktail reception on Thursday, June 5. Located at 1201 Woodward Ave., across from the Hudson's site development, the store officially opens to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, June 6. "This is a concept that could not happen anywhere else in the state or in the country," said Rachel Stewart, president of Gardner White and GW HOME. "It is uniquely Detroit in every sense." The three-story, 15,000-square-foot store features a rotating gallery of local artwork and a curated selection of furniture and home decor, with an emphasis on Detroit-based design, partnerships and craftsmanship. The underground level features mattresses, while the upper two floors highlight living and home decor pieces from both local and national makers. The store's design centers on urban style, functionality and a wide range of price points. 'High style doesn't need to be high prices,' Stewart said. GW HOME partnered with Detroit-based ArtClvb to showcase a variety of ceramics, paintings and photography, all available for purchase in-store and online, according to Gardner White. Featured artists include Sheefy McFly (Tashif Turner), Jon DeBoer and Martyna Alexander, along with collaborators like Cranbrook graduate Luke Bryant and designer Andre Sandifer. The store also highlights Detroit-based brands such as Floyd, known for its modular furniture like the Gere Easy Chair and Acton Slate Bench, as well as Crypton, a Michigan company specializing in durable, stain-resistant upholstery. Other featured lines include Bernhardt, Vanguard, Rowe, Drew & Jonathan Home, and mattresses by Tempur-Pedic, Kingsdown and Serta. More: Hudson's site development in Detroit snags first retailer Alo While Gardner White now has 14 locations across Michigan, the GW HOME store marks its first return to Detroit in over 40 years. More GW HOME locations are planned, though the company has not announced when, where or how many. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who was unable to attend the ribbon-cutting in person, sent a video message welcoming Gardner White back to its roots."I'm so excited to welcome Gardner White back home to downtown Detroit, where the family-owned furniture retailer opened its very first store on 4th Street in 1912," Duggan said. "This three-story showroom is a perfect addition to the landscape in downtown Detroit and gives residents another great shopping option." More: 2 Michigan Hooters abruptly close. Are any left after latest closures? Stewart said the goal of GW HOME is to offer accessible, stylish and functional furnishings that reflect the Motor City's creativity and character. 'GW HOME is more than a furniture store,' she said. 'It's an experience where design and local artistry come together to create homes that are as unique as the people who live in them.' GW HOME's grand opening festivities continue through Sunday. A happy hour with live music, mocktails and snacks will take place Friday, June 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. On Saturday, June 7, visitors can design custom note cards with Detroit nonprofit Signal Return from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday's festivities, also from 1 to 3 p.m., include product demos and custom tote and makeup bag making with Crypton Fabric. Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@ Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gardner White debuts GW HOME: A new furniture and art store in Detroit
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
313 Day: Gardner White celebrates with recliner donations to Detroit firefighters
This year's 313 Day came with a little extra comfort for first responders as Gardner White delivered recliners to fire battalions across the city on Thursday. March 13, based on Detroit's area code, is known in Michigan as "313 Day," a celebration of all things Motor City-related. And this year, Gardner White marked the occasion by delivering 16 triple power Celeste Recliners by Southern Motion to all eight Detroit Fire Department battalions, according to a news release from the metro Detroit furniture retailer. Each location received two chairs. "In recognition of 313 Day, we are honored to provide a gift of comfort to the brave men and women of the Detroit Fire Department, whose dedication ensures the safety of our city," Rachel Stewart, CEO of Gardner White, said in the release. "Our hope is that these recliners offer a well-deserved moment of comfort and relaxation to the first responders who tirelessly protect and serve the community." More: 313 Day and Pi Day = special food deals Detroit Executive Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms praised the donation, emphasizing the importance of rest and comfort for firefighters who work long, demanding shifts. 'We are incredibly grateful to Gardner White for their generous donation of 16 recliners to firehouses across Detroit,' Simms said. 'Having a comfortable place to rest between calls makes a real difference. This gift is a testament to Gardner White's commitment to supporting our team and the neighborhoods they serve." Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@ Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit firefighters receive recliners from Gardner White on 313 Day
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HR Must Leverage Skills Practices That Are Suited to the Organization's Unique Needs, Says HR Research Firm McLean & Company
Global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company explains that organizations exist along a spectrum ranging from job-based to skills-based operating models, with "skills-aware" falling between the two. While a full skills transformation has many advertised benefits, it is not the answer for every organization. The firm's new Leverage Skills Practices in HR Guide explains the meaning of becoming skills-based and how to incorporate practices to build skills awareness and support the organization's unique skills journey. TORONTO, Feb. 4, 2025 /CNW/ - Global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company reports that as organizations prepare for an unpredictable future by seeking new ways to address internal and external challenges, many HR and organizational leaders are looking to skills practices as an attractive solution. However, the firm explains in a new industry guide that there is ambiguity around how skills practices can be implemented, with the transition to skills-based operating models demanding significant time, resources, and key player buy-in and a fundamental re-imagination of work. To help HR understand where skills practices will have the greatest impact in their organization and guide leaders in scoping and prioritizing skills practices based on their organizational context, McLean & Company has released its Leverage Skills Practices in HR Guide. "Skills are often marketed as the solution to current and future organizational challenges," says Grace Ewles, director, HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. "While a full skills transformation has many advertised benefits, it is not the answer for every organization. Strategically incorporating skills into current practices presents an opportunity to reap the rewards associated with skills while laying the groundwork for the organization's unique skills journey." The firm explains in the recently published resource that while the current buzz around skills practices focuses on the impressive benefits, including increased employee engagement and retention, improved agility and innovation, and expanded talent pools, it can cloud a holistic view of the impacts of becoming a fully skills-based organization. The guide notes that skills-based organizations also experience drawbacks, such as reduced role clarity, innovation fatigue, and unintended bias. McLean & Company further highlights that most organizations are not yet ready for a complete skills-based transformation, indicating that becoming skills-aware may be a better fit. "Skills-aware organizations leverage skills in some HR practices, while work continues to be defined through jobs, and opportunities are aligned with employees' skills, potential, and career goals," explains Rachel Stewart, associate vice president, HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. "Becoming skills-aware can support organizations in bridging the gap between being job-based, which defines roles with fixed responsibilities and emphasizes previous work experience and educational background, and being skills-based, which uses skills as the foundation to make all talent decisions and completely restructures work without the use of job descriptions." HR leaders seeking to roll out skills practices that align with their organizational needs and bridge the gap between being a job-based and skills-based organization can follow the guidance in McLean & Company's new guide, which is divided into three sections: Assess and uncover. Section one guides HR leaders through the analysis of the strategic direction of the organization, the assessment of external factors and industry trends, and the evaluation of workforce data to identify pain points. The data collected is then used to identify focus areas for skills practices. Scope and prioritize. The second section provides an opportunity to review and shortlist skills practices that relate to focus areas, reflect on the current state of the organization's culture, skills, data, and technology, and identify and prepare for downstream impacts of implementing skills practices. HR leaders will also conduct an effort and impact assessment to prioritize skills practices, then set goals and secure buy-in from leaders. Plan and implement. Section three shows HR leaders how to create a change management plan for each skills practice being implemented, then evaluate progress toward goals and iterate practices to support the organization's skills journey. McLean & Company advises that developing a comprehensive skills taxonomy and inventory is a complex and resource-intensive task. However, it is critical that organizations do not rush through this process. Robust skills data forms the cornerstone of effective decision-making in skills practices, so without accurate and reliable skills data, the entire effort is wasted. To access the full Leverage Skills Practices in HR Guide resource, please contact ktame@ To learn more about an accessible way to accelerate a learning and development project through McLean & Company's Build Impactful Leadership Development Programs workshop, please visit the workshop page. To register for McLean & Company's free upcoming CHRO panel, Leading the Way: CHRO Perspectives on Emerging HR Trends for 2025, on February 13, 2025, at 1 PM ET | 10 AM PT, please visit the official registration page. Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights and commentary on HR priorities and trends in 2025, HR's critical role in digital transformation, the future of work, and more can contact Communications Manager Katie Tame at ktame@ About McLean & Company McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership to HR leaders to HR team members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives. McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group. Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact ktame@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE McLean & Company View original content to download multimedia: Sign in to access your portfolio
