ATLANTA — August 1, 2019 — The third edition of Home Furnishings Manufacturing Solutions Expo (HFMSE), a trade show and conference serving the furniture manufacturing industry, was held July 17-18, 2019, at the Hickory Metro Convention Center in Hickory, N.s. Owned and organized by Exposition Development Company Inc. (ExpoDevCo) and Progressive Business Media (PBM), HFMSE featured exhibitors showcasing supplies, equipment, machinery and more — a much-needed platform for attendees in the furniture manufacturing industry. The move to Hickory fostered not only an increase in the number of furniture manufacturers attending, but also in the depth of delegations sent by individual companies. With the show in easy driving distance to a larger number of furniture manufacturers, many companies sent groups from different parts of the company on each of the expo’s two days and saw many choosing to attend both days. The show hosted more than 1,000 attendees as well as 69 exhibiting companies/brands from Italy, Romania, Switzerland, and the United States.
Manufacturing Excellence Awards
During the Expo, Furniture Today presented the prestigious Manufacturing Excellence Awards. The awards were given in four categories each honoring manufacturers who are leaders in the furniture industry. Listed below are the categories and the winners:
- Product Design & Innovation Award, Awarded To: HomeStretch;
- Manufacturing Innovation Awarded To: McCreary Modern;
- Domestic Manufacturer of the Year Awarded To: Century Furniture; and
- Upholstery Supplier of the Year Awarded To: STI Fabrics.
Educational Program
The two-day educational program featured topics such as Major Trends Disrupting the Furniture Industry, presented by Daniella Ambrogi, vice president of marketing – Lectra; Partnering with Industry to Train the Next Generation of Furniture Manufacturing Presented by Jeff Link, dean of Career and Technical Education, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute; and Upholstered Furniture Design presented by Lewis Mabon, ISFD, design engineer, Furniture Technology Center, Leggett & Platt.
Key Supporters
Key Supporters included the American Home Furnishings Alliance; Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute; Catawba Valley Community College; the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina; the Manufacturing Solutions Center; and the North Carolina State University Wood Products Extension.
Comments:
“It’s been a great show for us. We’ve done a ton of demonstrations, and it’s provided us the opportunity to communicate with a larger number of manufacturers that sent full groups of people to attend.” – Heather Corrigan, Furniture marketing manager, Lectra
“We’re very happy with the number of conversations we’ve had, and it’s with people who have authority to make decisions.” – Emanuel Martonca, sales manager, Thagora.
“The show’s location proved favorable for the company.” – Jason Porter, vice president of sales for Furniture, Hickory Springs
“This has been a very busy show for us. It’s been the right people in terms of seeing decision makers such as CEOs and Operations Teams, as well as both new and existing customers.” – Matthew Rollins, general manager, Mocean
The 4rd edition of Home Furnishings Manufacturing Solutions Expo will take place July 15-16, 2020, at the Hickory Metro Convention Center in Hickory.
Posted August 1, 2019
Source: Exposition Development Company Inc.
