IN THIS ISSUE

L to R: Brandunn Rush, Mike Cox, Derrick Preslar, Diana Guzman, Diana Rodriguez, Adriana Garcia, Keith Jackson, CEO, JD Bass, Anthony Teague, and Keith Smith

Jackson Furniture Industries

The pandemic in 2020 had an unanticipated affect on many industries. While some segments of the economy struggled during the shutdown, others saw a rapid increase in business. People were working from and spending more time at home and they began making repairs and renovations or purchasing second homes and updating their décor. Several industries recorded record sales last year, including HVAC, roofing, home renovations and flooring companies. Another industry that saw a huge increase was furniture companies, who were hard pressed to keep up with the demand. Jackson Furniture Industries saw a six-fold increase in orders over the past year, despite the cancellation of both Spring and Fall furniture markets across the country. When they started looking for another location for a factory, they took several factors into consideration – proximity to a skilled workforce, transportation accessibility for shipping, and if it were located near High Point and Furniture Market, it would be a huge plus. As a US manufacturer, they have eight factories located in four southern states: Tennessee, Mississippi, Virginia and now, North Carolina. Wells Hosiery moved from South Fayetteville Street to the J&S building on the corner of Spero and N Fayetteville Street in mid-2020, and that opened up the ideal location for Jackson Furniture to set up shop in Asheboro. They moved in September 2020, relocating machines from their other facilities to get up and running quickly because new machines can take months to manufacture, and they wanted to get production underway as quickly as possible. Born in 1903, W. Ray Jackson left very humble beginnings in Cleveland, TN at the age of 16. He worked for several years in an auto assembly plant in Ohio, before returning to TN to learn the art of chair upholstery. In 1933, he founded Jackson Furniture Company at the height of the Great Depression with $30, which was all he had left after the banks closed. The company grew and expanded over the next several decades, providing jobs to more and more people across several states.

By the 1970s, Jackson Furniture operated factories with over 1.3 million square feet of manufacturing space in four states. Today it is one of the largest family-owned enterprises in the United States and employs over 1,500 people. Using his auto assembly experience, Ray Jackson created a rail system that each piece slides easily along and each rail system can manufacture, stuff, and upholster between 80 and 120 pieces per day at full capacity. In February, the plant in Asheboro had 88 employees working full-time producing living room furniture. With salaries ranging from $13 to 25 per hour, hiring is on the rise. While experience is preferred, they are willing to train on the job. They are currently running the plant from 7:30 am to 3 pm with no 2nd or 3rd shift, but that could change in the future if orders continue to pour in at the current rate. All hiring is done on site and you can either apply online (www.jacksonfurniture. applytojob.com/apply) or just walk in and fill out an application at the factory. They have experienced little turnover of employees in the time they have been up and running. Wells Hosiery moved the final pieces of equipment out of the plant in February, and they increased their space from 150,000 sq. ft. to 350,000 sq. ft. They are looking to have a total of 200 to 250 employees by the Fall, which will help them meet the high demand they are experiencing in the furniture arena. At that time, they will be producing 800 to 1,000 pieces per day at full capacity. The living room pieces manufactured here in Asheboro include sectionals, sofas, and recliners, which includes the Catnapper, which is their mechanized recliner in both leather and fabric. The factory is climate-controlled, and employees have a beautiful breakroom with automated snack system that allows them to charge the food to a card provided by the company which they can pay off out of their paycheck or pay as they go with a debit or credit card. The company can also use the cards to reward their team members by adding $$ to it as a “thank you.” JFI offers a great benefit package including 401 (k) with employer match, medical, dental and vision insurance plans, paid holidays, life insurance options and employee referral bonuses.

“Jackson Furniture is so honored to join the Asheboro community, and appreciate the terrific hospitality. Our team has been building the most comfortable furniture in the industry since 1933. We look forward to many years of continued growth and expansion by supporting our families with a fun, productive

and safe work environment.” - Keith Jackson

is the grandson of W. Ray Jackson and the 3rd generation to run the company. Mike Cox, Director of North Carolina Operations has over 30 years of experience in the industry and has worked for several of the local furniture companies in Randolph County. He has done an incredible job of getting the factory up and running since he joined the company in January. His philosophy is simple, “Treat people how you want to be treated. We find that 99% of the time, if you do what’s right for the employee, it turns out it’s also what’s best for the company.” Brandunn Rush is the Senior Vice President of Sales and has been hosting successful ‘mini-markets’ in

the High Point showroom once a month, along with several other companies. He is looking forward to getting back to a semi-normal market in June. Jackson Furniture Industries is invested in the communities they call home. They put a lot of time, energy, and dollars back into those communities. Over the years they have worked with Habitat for Humanity to provide living room furniture for local homes. In fact, over the past 5 years, JFI has invested over $1.5 million dollars with Habitat, the American Heart Association, the Anti-Defamation League, the United Way, and the Boy Scouts of America as well as many others. With many companies relocating elsewhere over the past few years, it is nice to see an employer with good paying jobs move to Asheboro and invest in our community. If you are looking for a job and would like to explore your options, drop in at the plant between 9 and 4 weekdays at 1758 S. Fayetteville Street, Asheboro.