Making It Work Local furniture manufacturers planning to expand as others buckle, downsize

Jobi Blachy, the president of two High Point furniture manufacturers, knows the public perception of the domestic industry all too well.

Down and soon to be out.

A painfully earned image given that the Triad is closing rapidly on the 10,000 milestone for lost furniture-manufacturing jobs since January 2000, according to N.C. Employment Security Commission.

Just in the past three weeks, the closing of three major plants in the region has been announced, sending at least 1,050 workers either on the path of a likely fruitless search for similar work in the area or into a crowded classroom for retraining.

Those U.S. manufacturers and marketers still in business have been caught in a deep orders slump since June 2006.

They have absorbed blow after economic blow from higher energy prices, the national housing crisis, and increasing credit-card debt and job insecurity among consumers.

Weary of the depressing news, Blachy decided last week that it was time to speak out about his own silver linings -- high-end manufacturers Edward Ferrell and Lewis Mittman.

Blachy said that the sister companies have been in business locally for 18 years and for a combined 75 years.

Blachy said they have succeeded where others have failed or gone offshore by specializing in customized wooden and upholstery furniture for the affluent clients of interior designers.

The manufacturers have a combined 130 employees, including 110 in the plant.

They are preparing to expand their work force and production capacity this summer.

Almost all of the upholstered furniture is made in High Point, along with 60 percent of the wooden furniture, Blachy said.

The manufacturers recently introduced their first "green" collections in collaboration with local artisans.

"We're living proof that you can still make domestic furniture manufacturing work if you analyze your processes and systems for optimal efficiency and challenge and invest your employees in the company's success,' Blachy said.

"We're confident in our ability to make a high-quality product here and do it well."

Frequenting designer shows

The main reason why the two manufacturers lack familiarity is they don't show at the High Point Market, which traditionally caters to retailers.

Rather, Edward Ferrell and Lewis Mittman display their latest products at trade shows designed for interior designers.

They do provide an open house for select interior designers during the local market.

"The designers like us because we deliver on our promise of quality furniture in a timely fashion," Blachy said. "Fifty percent of what we sell in upholstery is customized and delivered within six weeks.

"With our standard lines, it's made and delivered within two to three weeks."

The growth spurt of the two manufacturers -- going from a combined $12 million in sales in 2003 to a projected $20 million in 2008 -- has caught some analysts by surprise, even with the growing popularity of boutique furniture-makers, such as Linwood Furniture outside Lexington and Councill Co. LLC in Denton.

"The Edward Ferrell furniture line has been around for quite a while, but I always thought they were a just small manufacturer of very high-end custom furniture," said Jerry Epperson, the managing partner of Mann, Armistead and Epperson, a financial-services company based in Richmond.

"It is interesting, and encouraging, to see the manufacturers have grown to this size and are interested in expanding," Epperson said.

Blachy said that given the hemorrhaging of furniture jobs, he is humbled that Edward Ferrell and Lewis Mittman now have one of the largest furniture-manufacturing presences in the Triad.

Work not fit for just anyone

As word has gotten out that the manufacturers are hiring, Blachy said that his human-resources department has received "dozens of applications, particularly from the Drexel Heritage and Henredon people down the street who will be losing their jobs all too soon."

Blachy said that although he is interested in expanding his work force, it likely won't be by more than 20 in the short term.

A career fair is being planned at the plant at 685 Southwest St. People interested in working for the manufacturers can visit www.ef-lm


.com.

Blachy acknowledges that working for either manufacturer is not for everybody, especially furniture veterans accustomed to being lone-wolf employees.

"They're required to be on time at 6:30 a.m. during the workweek," Blachy said. "They have to be willing to share and listen to ideas, taking constructive feedback. They have to be willing to accept that there may be a better way of making furniture than they've done before."

Yet such responsibility comes with perks, Blachy said.

"One of the benefits is that they're off work by 4:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday and by 10:30 a.m. on Fridays, so they nearly get a three-day weekend every week.

"They also get to work for a company that has a management team and a production team that is passionate about U.S. furniture manufacturing," he said.

"These days, that's a selling point in itself."

■ Richard Craver can be reached at 727-7376 or at rcraver@wsjournal


.com.