Fine home furnishings have been produced in North Carolina since the 1700s. The state's earliest settlers brought with them their talent and tools that allowed them to produce furniture from designs and influences from the world's most famous cabinetmakers. The abundance of raw materials allowed these early craftsmen to combine design, skill, and materials to produce furniture that is proudly displayed today in homes and museums throughout the world. In the mid-1880s mass-produced furniture manufacturing technology was introduced to North Carolina. North Carolina is known worldwide for its leadership position in the design and manufacturing of home furnishings.

The first Southern Furniture Market was held in High Point in 1909. Market was held twice a year beginning in 1913. The 1913 Market used 30,000 square feet in eight buildings with 100 exhibitors and 400 attendees. In 1989, the Southern Furniture Market changed its name to the International Home Furnishings Market.

Today, 60 percent of the furniture manufactured in the United States is produced in the mid-Atlantic region: 35 percent in North Carolina and 25 percent in Virginia. Some 2,700 home furnishings manufacturers show their products twice a year at Market in more than 10 million square feet of exhibit space. This is enough furniture to fill the Chicago Sears Tower, not once, but twice.

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MARKET TIMELINE

SOURCE: The International Home Furnishings Market Authority – Sponsor of the International Home Furnishings Market.