DeCoro adds workers, U.S. customer service
Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, May 22, 2006
High Point — Italian-owned upholstery manufacturer DeCoro says it is ramping up its production and is still on track to open a new 1 million-square-foot plant in China in December.
DeCoro also has improved its customer service and will expand its showroom here, said Heath Corso, executive vice president of sales and marketing.
He said the company has added extra production lines and another shift to its current 2 million-square-foot plant, hiring 500 people to bring its workforce to 3,000.
"The second shift should boost production levels by 25% to 30% over the next 60 to 90 days," said Corso. "Business is good and with new commitments here at market, this will help us."
Production in the building that will open in December, originally intended solely for case goods, will probably be split between case goods and upholstery, he said.
DeCoro now offers a limited case goods line made at another site. The company will introduce more case goods in October, said Corso.
The manufacturer also has moved its customer service operation from China to the United States.
"All order processing is now based in High Point," Corso said. "Fulfillment is still in China, but customer orders are received here. This will allow us to provide much better service to our dealers and to be much more customer responsive."
For the next High Point market, DeCoro is expanding its International Home Furnishings Center showroom to 41,000 square feet from 25,000 square feet.
