Furniture Industry Leaders Meeting

On Tuesday November 8, leaders in the furniture industry were called together by BDI staff to discuss the current state of the industry and what can be done to address the challenges these companies face. Owners, Presidents and other Executives at the roundtable meeting took time out of their busy schedules to meet with BDI and Western Piedmont Community College and share openly and candidly about the state of business in the Burke County furniture industry. Many reported that the most recent High Point Market in October was a huge success and they are seeing continued positive signs of an increase in business. However, almost all participants expressed concern over not being able to find enough skilled, experienced applicants for current job openings. To summarize the meeting’s informative input, BDI compiled a list of action items for how they can work together with other community partners to find solutions and offer additional resources to build up the workforce for the furniture industry. Examples of ideas noted include: reintroducing furniture careers to the Career Technical Education program in Burke high schools, review training opportunities and continuing education options with Western Piedmont Community College and participating in Burke County Schools Career Day events. Through these, and many other ideas generated and captured during the meeting, BDI hopes to combat the misperceptions and grow the number of young workers that are entering the furniture industry. This roundtable event provided a great baseline for partnerships across specific industry sectors. The nearly 100% attendance of local furniture manufacturers is a true testimony to the willingness and commitment of leaders coming together in a partnership to address concerns and make a difference in the county, today and in years to come.

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Burke Development Incorporated, BDI, is a nonprofit 501c3 organization supported by private and public funding that is charged with accelerating economic growth in Burke County. BDI works with industry leaders, site selection consultants, existing businesses, government agencies and other entities to promote growth, innovation and sustainability in Burke County. For more information about BDI visit www.BurkeDevInc.com.