Another Spring Furniture Market Comes and Goes for the City of High Point, N.C.

By: Emily Farris

            The city of High Point, N.C. hosted yet another Furniture Market from April 5-10. Buyers from all over the world showed up to experience the latest trends in home furnishings.

Demographics

The High Point Spring Furniture Market is known as the largest furniture industry tradeshow in the world, and this market has proven to be no different.

Due to the severe winter weather up and down the east coast, spring market was two weeks earlier than usual. This caused the High Point Market Authority to be concerned about attendance, which is the key to financial success.

However, over 75,000 people attended spring furniture market spanning across 100 different countries. According to Tom Conley, president of the High Point Market Authority, the number of buying companies attending this market was the second highest since 2007.

“We had our telemarketing service make over 80,000 phone calls to over 30,000 buyers. That effort led to a 12.19 percent increase in the number of buying companies that came to this market, compared to last October,” says Conley.

Spanning across 180 buildings and 11.5 million square feet of show space, this market was able to debut tens of thousands of new products.

Projected Economic Impact of the Spring High Point Furniture Market 2014
Number of job opportunities	37,600
Furniture Sales Activity	$4.2 billion
Total Fiscal Impact	$538 million
Tax revenue for North Carolina	$123 million
Information from Duke University’s Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness study

An Exhibitor’s Experience

Of the 2,000 exhibitors at spring furniture market, Lee Industries Inc. is one that stands apart from the rest. The company has been attending market in High Point, N.C. for over 30 years.

 The president of Lee Industries Inc., Norman Coley, explains the company’s recipe for success.

Lee Industries Inc. Showroom

“During the off-season, we make sure we service the customers, build quality products, and keep them happy so they’ll come back,” Coley states.

As a company offering sustainable products, it is important that Lee Industries Inc. supports the local businesses it services in the Triad. Therefore, a campaign supporting this ideal has come into existence.

“You know, we’ve got a campaign for 'Lee Loves Local', promoting local businesses and donating to local economies,” says Coley.

This year the selections at Lee Industries Inc. appeal to a wide range of generations.

By offering traditional items, as well as modern pieces, Lee Industries Inc. is expected to have yet another successful furniture market.

A Buyer’s Experience

            The furniture market would be nothing without the thousands of buyers who attend. The market authority works tirelessly to ensure that buyer’s will have the best experience possible.

Lisa Mykleby, an interior designer and business-owner, knows this firsthand. She has been attending the market in High Point on-and-off for six years.

“There’s nothing like seeing the products in person. A lot of people don’t think that they really need to attend markets anymore because everything is available on the Web, but there’s nothing like seeing it and talking to the people who are designing it to really get a feel for the ultimate end product,” Mykleby declares.

            Each year, the market ensures a new and fascinating experience for attendees. Mykleby was impressed with how technology and home furnishings have come together to create a new frontier for home décor.

She even went as far as to say, “I think it’s amazing how they have used technology to create some fabrics that don’t appear to be waterproof, that actually are…I just think that’s pretty remarkable.”

            It’s safe to say that the spring market in High Point lived up to buyer’s expectations.

As the High Point Market Authority states on their website, “If you can’t find it in High Point…it probably doesn’t exist!”

 Tour of a Showroom 

The “Feminist Frequency” comes to High Point University

By: Emily Farris

            High Point University hosted speaker Anita Sarkeesian, creator of the “Feminist Frequency,” on April 3^rd as a part of the Communications Week sponsored by the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication. Sarkeesian spoke to students about the various stigmas pictured in today’s pop culture narratives.

            The “Feminist Frequency” is a web series that explores a variety of representations of women in video games. Sarkeesian explained the idea of damsels in distress, women in refrigerators, and smurfettes to a college-aged audience in an way that had the attendees laughing.

Emily Krol, a freshman Game and Interactive Media Design Major at High Point University, enjoyed Sarkeesian’s take on feminism in the media.

“Not only did she convince the audience to see her point of view with her extensive amount of examples that everyone could relate to, but her arguments were unique, relevant, and well-supported,” says Krol.

However, not everyone was able to relate to Sarkeesian throughout her speech.

Bitsy Conklin, a sophomore Strategic Communications Major, spoke against the action Sarkeesian has chosen to undertake.

 “I don't really agree with the message. I do think woman are objectified, but I also think that in today's culture both men and women are mistreated based on their sexuality. If you are offended by it, you should choose to ignore it,” Conklin states.

            Because Sarkeesian cannot ignore it, she has been attacked via social media regarding her creation, the “Feminist Frequency.” Threats involving rape and illness come in everyday, and take a toll on Sarkeesian’s faith in her message.

            Nonetheless, Sarkeesian knows that she is working for a bigger purpose; therefore, she continues to preach her message of equality. “There is already a pre-existing hatred for feminism that is promoted and encouraged by video games. I realize this, and that is why I continue to do this,” says Sarkeesian. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO6u3nVuJR8&feature=youtu.be

Community takes action against Project Haystack

A team of private businesses have a plan to convert 800-acres of prison farmland in Guilford County into an advanced manufacturing park. The community is concerned and plans to take action.

The endeavor has been named Project Haystack, and has been in the works for over two years. Its purpose is to increase revenue, to create jobs and to utilize space.

According to an economic feasibility study from the city of Greensboro, the project could generate $6.5 billion in private investments, 11.5 million square feet of developed space and 5,349 jobs over a 20-year span.

Mike Solomon, who is heading up the project for the Timmons Group, selected the plot of land in Guilford County for Project Haystack. “There’s water, power, fiber…the key thing is you’ve got fiber optic cables like no place in the country. You’ve got massive power and a huge amount of water available, which makes it so unique.”

Solomon believes the project has enormous potential, but some residents of Guilford County are asking questions.

            Residents have warrant for the concern surrounding the project. A similar project in Kinston, N.C. titled the North Carolina Global Transpark has not lived up to its expectations. Taxpayers believed over 50,000 jobs were being created, when in reality, there has only been 439 new jobs on the market.

Although the economic impact is predicted to be positive, many citizens of Guilford County believe that they should be aware and have a say in the development of the project.

Anne Hice, a retired teacher, residing in Pleasant Garden, N.C. has dedicated 18 months of her life to fighting for the rights of Guilford County residents. Technically, the land is the citizens’ property; because, the money being used to maintain it comes straight from the pockets of taxpayers.

Hice, who has lived in the area for over 30 years, spends her days managing the family farm. She knows the value of the land firsthand and recognizes the severity of the issue. Hice has taken it upon herself to do something to stop the industrialization.

“We are not in opposition of the project. We’re just trying to come up with an alternative way to preserve the acreage. Once that farmland is gone, it’s never coming back,” says Hice.

Hice, along with other members of the community, has formed an organization entitled Public Lands of Agriculture and Community Enrichment, also known as PLACE. Their main goal, as of now, is to come up with a proposal to enforce farmland preservation to feed the people of the county.

Local farmers have come forward and said they wanted to make use of the land for farmer’s market development. Others believe it worked well as a low-security prison farm, and would like to see public access. The beautiful streams and winding trails are conducive to recreation for Guilford County residents, something Anne Cassebaum values.

Cassebaum is a founding partner of the PLACE organization. She recognizes that no exact plan has been put into motion for Project Haystack, and believes it’s more a fantasy for the industrial industry. “There is no actual plan, there’s a projection. There’s space they want to own and there are things they hope will happen…there is no reality to any of this.”

PLACE held a meeting at Friedens Lutheran Church at 6001 NC 61 in Gibsonville Thursday to gather community attitude towards Haystack. Letters were mailed to 75 local citizens to inform them of the issue at hand and the turn out was more than they expected.

Many came to find out more information, while others had never heard of the proposed project before. Questionnaires were given to focus groups that asked them to consider three questions:

1.     What do you need to know about Project Haystack?

2.     What is your reaction to the proposed project?

3.     What do you want to do about Project Haystack?

PLACE is in the process of combining the information to create an overall idea of what the citizens are looking for as Project Haystack is developed.

Another meeting has been scheduled for February 6 at 7p.m. to start creating the proposal of an alternative plan to present to city officials.

Hice believes, “this is too important of an issue to ignore. I am a firm believer that one person can make a difference, if it’s the right thing to do.”

For more information about PLACE, contact Hice at 336-674-6152.