This press release is submitted and shown here in its original form, unedited by Furniture Today.

The year was 1972. The Godfather was the boss at the box office. Don McLean’s American Pie filled the airwaves; the Dow Jones closed above 1000 for the first time in history, and a fledgling Canadian upholstery maker, Décor-Rest, began making upholstery in a small, rented facility at 40 Wabash Avenue in Toronto.   

Fast forward to today and one could easily fill a book with the stories of furniture manufacturers who, like so many fallen soldiers, fell by the wayside unable to survive, adapt and grow in a market that takes no prisoners.  

One notable exception is Décor-Rest Furniture, now a premier Canadian manufacturer of fine upholstery, celebrating a true milestone—its 50th Anniversary.   

To underscore just how remarkable a feat that is, consider these statistics from fundsquire.ca. The firm reports that fully 20% of Canadian small businesses fail in their first year and a whopping 60% will shut their doors within the first three years.  

But Décor-Rest, a family-run company, launched by Angelo and Christina Marzilli in 1972, has not only survived, but has also thrived, grown, innovated, and reimagined itself more than once, all while supplying a growing base of leading retailers with upper-end upholstery.  

Subhead:  How it all began   

Like so many after WWII, Angelo’s parents found it increasingly difficult to live off the land in post-war Europe, and the prospect of a better life in Canada became the driving force to emigrate from Italy to this new country.  

In 1963, at the age of 16, Angelo Marzilli Sr. got his first job at a local furniture manufacturing company and spent the next eight years working in the upholstery industry, developing a passion for furniture and a growing desire to design and build affordable, beautiful furniture without sacrificing functionality, form, and quality.   

Christina shared his vision and in May 1972, they began operations in a 4,000 sq ft space at a century-old building on 40 Wabash Avenue in Toronto. Each brought different skills that, when combined, were powerful. Angelo’s expert engineering skills in furniture design and manufacturing, coupled with Christina’s competence in marketing, accounting, and décor, resulted in timeless, durable, high-quality upholstered furniture and kept their interests intertwined and separate at the same time – another secret to their personal and professional success.  

That same year, Angelo and Christina got married on September 9 – Angelo’s birthday; he believes that birthdays should celebrate life’s new beginnings in more ways than one.   

In keeping with their dream, they honeymooned at the Holiday Inn in High Point, North Carolina, the furniture capital of the world – a place they would circle back to years later.  

In the years that followed, Angelo spent most of his days visiting retail stores, passionately selling his line of furniture. At night, he would return to the factory to sew and upholster furniture alongside his 6 employees, fulfilling the confirmed orders for that day.   

As their business grew, so did their family. Angelo and Christina welcomed their daughter, Natalie in 1973 and son, Angelo Jr. in 1975.  

Subhead:  Traits of a successful business  

It’s no secret that successful companies share common characteristics including vision, passion, a customer-centric approach, superior products, and a true concern for employees.  

Décor-Rest, despite its steady growth over the years, has certainly shown each of those characteristics, including an ongoing ability to not only treat employees like family but to empower them and encourage them to grow with the company.  

Today, the company still proudly points to many of its employees who have been with Décor-Rest for forty years and more.  

The decade that followed underscores both their passion and persistence. In January 1980, 17 Milvan Dr. represented their first commercial building purchase. This expanded the existing 20,000 sq ft factory to a 45,000 sq ft, which would house their ever-growing team of 38 family team members who helped fulfill orders for over 150 customers nationwide.   

They also began to outsource fabrics globally, providing clients with a broader fabric and material palette.   

The company was going nowhere but up, but as it moved into the 1990s, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was announced. NAFTA encouraged investment in areas where production is cheapest.   

As a result, Canada suddenly became a much less desirable place to invest. Compared to low-wage countries such as China and Vietnam, Canada was a high tax, wage, and regulatory cost jurisdiction making it a less attractive production site.  

  This was a major challenge for many Canadian producers, and it resulted in scores of Canadian suppliers either shuttering or relocating to the United States. Decor-Rest staunchly remained in Canada and adhered to a vision of creating quality furniture at a great value.   

Two short years later, another milestone was reached and the need for expansion was required again to accommodate production for their 250+ customers throughout North America and the growing team of 100 family team members.    

Décor-Rest moved to the 111,000 sq ft factory located at 233 Signet Drive in Toronto. The new factory location became the first showroom to display their line of furniture.   

In 1995, Decor-Rest set another milestone, making its debut as an exhibitor at the High Point Market – the largest home furnishings industry trade show in the world – inaugurating an 8,000 sq ft showroom space that it bought at 208 Jacobs Place in High Point, North Carolina.   

Not long after, Décor-Rest was making headlines again. This time, for being the first Canadian upholstery manufacturer to receive ISO 9001 certification in August 1998.    

The ISO 9001 is  the world’s most recognized Quality Management System (QMS) standard said to help organizations meet the needs of their customers and other stakeholders more effectively by building a framework to ensure consistent quality in the provision of goods and/or services.  

As the business grew, so did the Marzilli children.   Natalie graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York University. She circled back to Decor-Rest in the late 1990s, joining the sales department. She participated in opening new business opportunities across Canada and the US while positioning the Decor-Rest brand and developing marketing strategies alongside Christina and the team.   

Later, in 2009, she ventured out with her retail store, Zilli Home Interiors, offering customized space and planning solutions to a clientele seeking a tailored retail experience with a beautifully curated showroom and an extraordinary team of interior designers.   

Angelo Jr. studied Business Management and seamlessly transitioned into Decor-Rest’s next-generation leader, becoming the company President in 2017. [picture of JR as a child]   

Decor-Rest embraced the changing world of technology and fashion to become a forefront player.   

In January 2000, construction was completed on their first custom-built landmark location, 511 Chrislea Rd, Woodbridge, Ontario. A 225,000 sq ft factory, showroom, and office space was equipped with a professional kitchen and pizza oven to serve hundreds of lunches and dinners.   

The Exchange Room at the Woodbridge facility is filled with award-winning acknowledgments that Decor-Rest and the Marzillis have received over the years, ranging from quality standard awards, certifications, lifetime achievement awards, appreciation, and gratitude from various charitable organizations to acknowledgments by country leaders and government officials.    

In 2001, Décor-Rest became recognized with more national Trillium Summit Awards than any other upholstery company for the superiority of product design and marketability.  

Decor-Rest also broadened its base with collaborations with well-established designers such as Alexander Julian, Cobi Ladner, Steven Sabados, and Chris Hyndman.    

And while always constantly celebrating beautifully designed furniture, the company has always been a good steward of the environment.  In addition to maintaining its accreditation in ISO 9001 Quality certification along with its BIFMA certification, the company’s environmental commitment to the environment earned CertiPUR-US certification using eco-friendly materials and their signature innovative approach to recycling and repurposing materials.   

In February 2020, when the COVID-19 global pandemic affected everyone, the team proactively reassessed the physical space in the facility, readapted workstations, properly distanced them, and installed plexiglass screens. It also renovated and enlarged the washrooms and installed touchless sinks to keep the onsite staff safe.    

During these trying times, the Decor-Rest family recognized the growing shortage of PPE. The factory was repurposed and began producing masks and gowns. They sourced hand sanitizers for PPE kits and distributed them to retailers and frontline workers to keep them safe.    

Marketing material for social distancing and new PPE kits were also distributed to retailers in anticipation of the brand’s long-awaited reopening. Additionally, in May 2021, Decor-Rest opened its doors to facilitate COVID-19 vaccination for all its family team members.  

Now, 2022 not only heralds the company’s 50thanniversary, but also a robust e-furniture line from classic to contemporary, as well as the motion/power integrated technology line introduced over the last 10 years. Décor-Rest has over 600 fabrics and 75 types of leather,  Accents on Home  consist of occasional tables, lamps, and mirrors which give  Total Room   Solutions , 50+ delivery trailers, and in-house photo studios.   

But in today’s increasingly competitive arena, continued growth is one sure sign of a company’s future success and once again, Décor-Rest fits the bill. The company recently announced the acquisition of two Canadian upholstery makers, Superstyle Furniture and Trendline Furniture, a move that will increase Deco-Rest’s manufacturing output by an additional 35 percent.  

In addition to underscoring Décor-Rest’s 50thanniversary, the acquisitions of Superstyle Furniture and Trendline Furniture boost its footprint to 400,000 square feet and bring its total workforce to about 450 employees.  

“We continually strive to eliminate the challenges faced by our valued customers and to uphold our trademark commitment to excellence,” says JR Marzilli, President, CEO, and son of Decor-Rest founders, Angelo and Christina Marzilli.  

However, the story of growth at Décor-Rest is still being written. The company has just revealed that it has just made another acquisition—this time a well-established Canadian upholstery frame facility called Superior Frame.  

With 50 years of hard work, teamwork, innovation, passion, and dedication having paved the road ahead, Décor-Rest is clearly is in the passing lane of the fast track.   

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