NHFA to move into own building
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, September 22, 2003
High Point — The National Home Furnishings Assn. expects to move its offices to a new home here by early December.
The retail association plans to occupy 9,000 square feet of a building it will own, which is under construction at 3910 Tinsley Drive. NHFA will lease out another 3,000 square feet in the building.
The NHFA will leave the 11,000-square-feet space at 305 West High Avenue where it has been since moving to High Point in 1988 from Chicago, where it had been based since 1926. The association board first discussed the move last fall and found it could save money in the long run by building a facility instead of leasing.
"It was almost unplanned," said NHFA Executive Vice President Steve DeHaan. "We looked at all of our occupancy costs and a couple of us looked at each other and said, 'I think we can own for this price'."
The association declined to reveal the cost of the new building. But based on estimated construction costs of $125 a square foot, the building would run about $1.5 million.
To a degree, the move reflects a similar desire among retailers to own rather than lease space.
In addition to establishing equity, the new building also will help the association achieve space efficiencies. Hall corridors and some rooms will be smaller, but there will be two conference rooms as compared to one in the current space.
The association has 32 employees and also houses the Interior Design Society, the Florida Home Furnishings Assn., the Southeastern Home Furnishings Assn. and the Southern Home Furnishings Assn.
DeHaan said the new configuration will allow departments to be more grouped together. NHFA President Pedro Capo noted that now, operations are spread out on three floors.
"The communication factor will be dramatically improved," Capo said. "And being in a brand new building, the productivity just skyrockets. That is one of the things we are looking forward to."
He also said the changes will free up money for services to NHFA members. While it plans to gain income by leasing the extra square footage, some of that could be used for future expansion, DeHaan said.
He added the move solidifies the group's commitment to High Point.
The building was designed by Efird-Gwinn Architects and is being built by John Kavanagh Co., both of Greensboro, N.C.
