Century to buy Highland House designs, product
Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, November 24, 2003
Hickory, N.C. — Century Furniture has agreed to purchase the inventory and intellectual property of high-end upholstery maker Highland House from Furniture Brands International for an undisclosed sum.
The deal does not include Highland House's factory here. Furniture Brands company Thomasville plans to use the facility to make upholstery. Highland House was a division of Thomasville.
Orders will continue to be filled in the Highland House factory until Jan. 15, when production will be spread among three Century factories in Hickory.
Century plans to continue the Highland House line as an independent entity, with product development, merchandising, sales, marketing and management operating autonomously.
"It is our intention to re-engage the Highland House sales force and name a senior management team as quickly as possible," said Bob Maricich, president and chief operating officer of Century. "We (believe) we will be able to retain most of them."
Eric Schenk, Century's chief operating officer, is heading a transition team that includes David Blair, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Bob Choppa, vice president of upholstery, and Bob Johnson, vice president of administration.
Century expects to retain Highland House's showroom space on East Green Drive in High Point.
"We always have thought of Highland House as a premium brand," said Maricich. "We know the company well from 40-plus years of friendly competition in the same town. It fills a sizable niche in the marketplace, has a highly respected brand name and rep force, and a loyal, and mostly different, dealer base. It complements our distribution and allows us to leverage our manufacturing assets, expertise and experience."
