Thomas, Talbott consolidate

Cindy W. Hodnett -- Furniture Today, December 3, 2012

Upholstery from the Michael Thomas line, above, and the Miles Talbott line, below, will now be produced at the same High Point plant.HIGH POINT - Custom upholstery lines Michael Thomas Furniture and Miles Talbott Furniture will consolidate their operations into one High Point manufacturing facility, according to company officials.
     The lines, both of which are owned by the Jordan family, will be produced at the existing High Point facility as the manufacturer closes its Liberty, N.C., plant.
     George Jordan, president of Miles Talbott, will be president of the companies, which will continue as separate entities, and will become more involved in the sales and marketing of the Michael Thomas line. George's father, Thomas Jordan, president and founder of Michael Thomas, will be chairman.
     All employees at the Liberty facility have been offered positions in High Point, and George Jordan said he expects that 80% to 90% will relocate.
     He said the consolidation will result in "considerable savings," although he said there were several factors involved in the decision to combine operations.
     "The ultimate decision was really more about how to provide better product and services for our customers," he said. "And this is a good first step toward Dad's eventual retirement. He hasn't announced a date, but I'll assume some of his duties to make sure that the eventual transition is a smooth one."
     Both product lines will be offered in one catalog and on one website. Qualifying customers will be able to access both Michael Thomas and Miles Talbott lines without additional buy-in after the consolidation, according to Jordan.
     "We are excited about the opportunity to present this new alignment to our existing customers and feel the combined product line is even more attractive to prospective ones," he said. "The decision to consolidate our operations is just another step to better serve our loyal customer base."
     "I have enjoyed the evolution of our two divisions over the years," said Tom Jordan. "Our history is that of two companies that have successfully coexisted for almost 20 years, and Michael Thomas will celebrate 30 years this coming year.
     "I am excited about the next step and what it means for both our employees and our customers. Combining the divisions serves to strengthen our offerings in the marketplace as well as our focus on process improvements for our customers."