Henredon, Drexel Heritage headquarters to move
Henredon will be in High Point, Drexel in Thomasville
Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, March 18, 2008
HIGH POINT — Furniture Brands International has announced it plans to move the Henredon and Drexel Heritage headquarters, now in a single building, into two separate locations before the October High Point Market.
FBI said in a press release it plans to sell “the former Henredon/Drexel Heritage office building.” Although it didn’t give an address, that appears to indicate the corporate offices and showroom building on Eastchester Drive in High Point.
Proceeds will be used to implement FBI’s strategic plan and reduce debt, the company said.
Henredon management, including sales, marketing, finance and merchandising functions, will relocate to a “current Furniture brands facility in High Point.” It was unclear which facility Henredon will move to.
A Furniture Brands spokesman did not return a phone call this morning seeking comment.
Furniture Brands owns an upholstery plant and an upholstery plant and distribution center in High Point, according to its 2007 annual report. It also owns a component plant and leases an office and distribution center in the city.
The move will return Henredon “to its roots as a premier high-end brand with enhanced U.S. manufacturing capability,” said Ralph Scozzafava, CEO of FBI.
He said that by locating designers, management and merchants with manufacturing, the company will “dramatically increase creativity and product quality to deliver more and better Henredon products to the market.”
It will be the second move for Henredon in a year.
Last year, Henredon closed its 100,000-square-foot showroom on Ward Street here and moved to the Drexel Heritage building on Eastchester Drive, occupying the first floor of the building.
Drexel Heritage, meanwhile, will relocate to Thomasville Furniture’s facility in nearby Thomasville, N.C. Thomasville Furniture and Drexel Heritage are both under the direction of Ed Teplitz, president of Thomasville.
“These latest moves support two of our strategic initiatives, winning with customers and delivering operation excellence,” Scozzafava said.
In the case of Thomasville and the Drexel Heritage teams, the move allows the company to streamline operations and eliminate the expense of surplus assets, the company said.
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FBI to separate Drexel, Henredon headquarters
Mar 23, 2008
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