{"id":26,"date":"2019-01-06T21:35:13","date_gmt":"2019-01-06T21:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chrisgent.news\/?page_id=26"},"modified":"2019-04-23T15:14:44","modified_gmt":"2019-04-23T15:14:44","slug":"the-old-manufacturing-era-sitting-pretty","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/chrisgent.news\/index.php\/the-old-manufacturing-era-sitting-pretty\/","title":{"rendered":"The Old Manufacturing era: Sitting pretty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For more than a century, furniture has been the heartbeat of downtown High Point. But as manufacturing jobs moved overseas, and showrooms sat empty for most of the year, the city realized more was needed to restore its sense of pride.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

IT\u2019S A SWELTERING SATURDAY MORNING IN LATE SEPTEMBER<\/strong>, and the High Point Amtrak station overhang is the spot to catch some shade. About two dozen locals congregate on benches outside the railroad depot, sipping bottled water and liberally applying sunscreen. The noon sun peeks through patchy clouds, sending sweat dripping down folks\u2019 faces. The heat is oppressive, but clear skies of any kind are welcome one week after Hurricane Florence crippled communities across North Carolina in record-breaking fashion. Rain or shine, no one wanted to miss lawyer Aaron Clinard\u2019s tour. The 71-year-old is a mainstay in High Point happenings, a veteran voice on the roller-coaster ride to revitalize the city\u2019s downtown. Clinard arrives dressed for success, sporting tan slacks, a navy blazer and brown moccasin loafers. He\u2019s an entertainer at heart, the kind of thoughtful explorer who was born ready to be your guide. It\u2019s not quite lunchtime yet, but Clinard readies everyone for life after the tour, with a copy of his exclusive \u201cConcierge\u2019s Restaurant List\u201d of High Point\u2019s best places. He picks up his bullhorn from a library staff member, beaming with pride. \u201cTest! Test! Good,\u201d he shouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clinard could make the case for High Point\u2019s legacy in his sleep. This isn\u2019t any old train station. It\u2019s a key marker on the Fayetteville and Western Plank Road, the Civil War-era thoroughfare that lifted North Carolina commerce out muddy ditches and slave labor. It\u2019s the \u201cHigh Point\u201d between Goldsboro and Charlotte, the inspiration for the city\u2019s name. It\u2019s the asset that paved the way for an international reputation in the furniture and hosiery industries, with dozens of factories up and running by the 1920s. It\u2019s also a reminder of how the South afforded greater potential to some than others. \u201cYou see exactly what was done in 1907,\u201d says Clinard, referencing a $6.8 million renovation project in 1984, which saved the original depot. \u201cExcept for one thing, and this is a good thing.\u201d He raises his finger toward the sign above. \u201cThey had white and colored bathrooms. We don\u2019t have that anymore. Thank goodness.\u201dSomething else is missing on a Saturday morning: foot traffic. \u201cYou stragglers gonna get left behind if you don\u2019t come on!\u201d Clinard wryly warns as he speeds ahead. \u201cI don\u2019t know how he\u2019s wearing that jacket,\u201d says another attendee. We walk past the site of the 1960s Woolworth\u2019s sit-in that helped set the Civil Rights Movement in motion. Some of High Point\u2019s earliest settlers were Quakers, and while more tolerant than other cities, it was still the South. A native of nearby Thomasville, Clinard\u2019s drawl competes with the hum of car engines whizzing up and down Main Street. As we scamper across the street, drivers gawk as if we\u2019re a set of lost ducklings, a group too large to be here today. \u201cMarket\u201d \u2013 the bi-annual furniture gathering that pumps in nearly $7 billion each year \u2013 isn\u2019t in session. As we stand in front of the Southern Exposition Furniture Building \u2013 a towering 10-story structure which cost around $1 million to build in 1921, we see the entrepreneurial spirit that put High Point on the map. \u201cI said earlier to Chris, it\u2019s almost like the blessing and the curse for our city,\u201d Clinard tells the group. There\u2019s money everywhere, but in this one industry town, few people are lucky enough to reap the benefits of furniture\u2019s inside circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Aaron Clinard (right) guides visitors on his tour of downtown High Point. The Furniture exposition hall, later renamed the International Home Furnishings Center, is one of the more notable landmarks, with a 110-year history. (Photo by Chris Gentilviso)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When Clinard entered adulthood in the late 1960s, he couldn\u2019t wait to get to High Point. The city\u2019s population crested above 60,000 people. The hosiery industry had a household name in Adams-Millis and its $20 million in revenue. The furniture showrooms were expanding like mad, with 375,000 square feet of additions. But toward the end of the decade, downtown activity moved from a manufacturing center to a service climate. Newly-annexed suburban neighborhoods had the same city services and lured families away from Main Street living. By the 1990s, three million more square feet of showrooms came to town, but jobs lagged behind. The furniture industry\u2019s decline was accelerated by threats from Asia. An October 2018 Economic Policy Institute study<\/a> estimated from 2001 to 2017, three percent of all jobs in North Carolina were lost to a trade deficit with China. The 2008 Great Recession was a devastating tipping point for furniture, as revenue fell by 21 percent. High Point\u2019s overall tax base was slashed by 11 percent. Across North Carolina, 60 percent of furniture positions have evaporated since 1990. And now, almost 350 days a year, a common word in downtown High Point is \u201cCLOSED.\u201d \u201cWhen the furniture market is here, it\u2019s like being in New York,\u201d Clinard argues, mentioning my hometown, the vibe that made me think High Point\u2019s potential was dormant, not defeated. \u201cThe curse is that when they leave, they\u2019re gone and our city, our downtown, is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AT \u201cMARKET\u201d LAST SPRING<\/strong>, I learned exactly what Clinard was talking about. Rolling luggage bags overtake High Point\u2019s usually empty sidewalks, with airport tags from as far away as Hong Kong. Storefronts shift from locked to revolving, offering coffee and grab-n-go breakfasts. More than 2,000 exhibitors from 112 countries crisscross 12 million square feet of displays, cutting the best deals for their businesses. But were there any brands with a real stake in High Point, a set of roots beyond two five-day stays in April and October? Or is \u201cmarket\u201d just the furniture industry\u2019s version of Airbnb?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very few big-name brands like Broyhill or Thomasville still assemble their pieces in North Carolina. According to the state\u2019s Furniture Export Office<\/a>, only 24 businesses meet the \u201cMade in NC\u201d standard, which factors in headquarter locations, as well as labor and raw goods sourced in state. At 310 South Elm Street, just a few blocks away from the Southern Furniture Expo Building, Braxton Culler is one of them. Its low-lying storefront looks more like a 1950s car dealership, with a silver, block-lettered logo straight out of a vintage movie. The genteel feel is a testament to the company\u2019s 45 years in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside, the welcome desk fields a homegrown look, an inviting set of yellows, reds, pinks and greens, fit for a drive to your timeshare along the Carolina coast. Toward the left is a short spiral staircase, where Chief Operating Officer Braxton Culler IV is waiting. He\u2019s around six feet tall, with a round face, broad shoulders and sturdy build. His casual tan khakis, chic black blazer and slip-on black loafers rival Mr. Clinard\u2019s closet. It\u2019s no wonder they’ve both served on the board of the String & Splinter Club \u2013 the pre-eminent space for High Point\u2019s business elites to wine, dine and network. There\u2019s a male-dominated Mad Men vibe, with wealth and social mores found on Don Draper\u2019s Madison Avenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicknamed \u201cBrack,\u201d Culler has a tiger-like stride, a baritone voice, a firm handshake and a wall of loyalty for his hometown. We sit perpendicular on a long, white sectional sofa, made at a factory just down the road in Randolph County. At one time, this showroom was full of young patrons looking to fill their homes. \u201cPeople who are 25, 35, 40 years old \u2014 that is the consumer to whom we are directing our marketing,\u201d Braxton Culler told the <\/a>New York Times<\/a> <\/em>at the 1985 market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I\u2019m sitting with his great\ngrandson, pondering what High Point looks like for the next group of 25-, 35-\nand 40-year-olds. Brack\u2019s three kids were sixth-generation, ages 10, 14, and 16,\nand they may prefer rental apartments up the street. The sofa\u2019s cushions were\nsoft as a feather and hard to top. This was Brack\u2019s 48th market, but the goal\nfor the company isn\u2019t fancy: sell furniture, add floor placements and meet new\ndealers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Brack stares out the window toward\nthe Amtrak tracks, he sees the String & Splinter, where his great\ngrandfather worked as a kid. Just like Mr. Clinard, Brack wishes more places\nlike that were still in town. Furniture grew the economy, but toppled mainstays\nlike Noble\u2019s Restaurant and the Elwood Hotel. Smaller cities seeking a makeover\noften start with downtown. But showrooms on every street corner complicate High\nPoint\u2019s remodeling job. \u201cThere were tons of gorgeous buildings that were torn\ndown because of the furniture industry,\u201d Brack laughs, wiping a smudge on his\nshoe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Braxton Culler is one of the few businesses to tough it out. Their most valuable piece of furniture isn\u2019t a bed or a couch, but a third eye on customers. \u201cDo you need me to walk with you?\u201d Brack asks a group as they sifted through living room sets. \u201cDo you want me to answer questions?\u201d \u201cWe\u2019re okay,\u201d a woman answers softly. But her tone suggests help may be welcomed later. \u201cWe\u2019ll take pictures so we can see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right, I\u2019ll be right here,\u201d\nhe says calmly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The baseball stadium has yet to break ground, but Brack feels the wheels turning. He knows why young folks are hesitant to stay in High Point. After graduating from college, he moved to Greensboro because there was nothing to do at home. \u201cThis stadium moving forward is going to put us back on the map and make us relevant again to millennials,\u201d he vows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They likely won\u2019t be working in furniture, though. Brack admits he sounds old, but younger people are entering the industry more slowly, especially sales reps. \u201cA lot of these people, they think sending an email is calling an account, or servicing an account,\u201d Brack laments, with his own iPhone unwillingly glued to his side. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to get out there and go in the car, drive, meet, face to face, interact with people.\u201d Then comes a long pause. Brack couldn\u2019t count how many mom and pop stores closed in recent years. Fewer local spots meant fewer dependable regulars. Big chains were an issue and the internet\u2019s eCommerce binge added more complexity. \u201cThat\u2019s my biggest question mark,\u201d he wonders. \u201cWhat is the interaction with people going to be like in 10 years?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, young people probably weren\u2019t going to put springs in the sofa we were sitting on. But furniture wasn\u2019t going anyplace. New showrooms were still coming to town. \u201cThe Bank on Wrenn: High Point\u2019s new must-see luxury showroom destination. Opening fall 2018.\u201d \u201cArt Addiction: the largest art showroom in High Point. Opening spring 2019.\u201d Brack remembers when \u201cVegas scared us.\u201d Rumors swirled in the mid-1990s that High Point would lose Market to Sin City. \u201cThere\u2019s too much infrastructure for it,\u201d Brack says, arguing mirrors and rugs would always have some place in High Point. But would younger generations fit in that future?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI mean, this would be the\nstadium,\u201d Brack supposes. \u201cHigh Point University has been monumental in keeping\nus on the map. Putting us on the map, really.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Point University president Nido Qubein knows this too. When he was a student at the school in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was a tiny piece of the city\u2019s fabric. But over the last decade-and-a-half, HPU increased its student body (1,450 to 5,200 undergraduates), full-time faculty members (108 to 316) and campus size (91 to 460 acres). As the footprint grows, so does its presence. Pamphlets at the String & Splinter showcase special rates for students, faculty, staff and alums. Back at the Braxton Culler showroom, the Pretenders\u2019 1979 hit, \u201cBrass in Pocket,\u201d begins playing over the speakers. Even though millennials were first born in 1981, there\u2019s hope that downtown High Point\u2019s catalyst project is \u201cgonna make you, make you, make you no-ticeee.\u201d <\/em>If HPU is the key, if business people like Brack had it their way, what\u2019s the ideal Main Street?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot what it is today, but what\nit could\u2019ve been?\u201d Brack asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, the aspirational Main\nStreet,\u201d I reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRetail storefronts, boutique\nhotels, restaurants,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChapel Hill?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

QUBEIN IS A MAN WHO TURNS ASPIRATIONS INTO ACTION<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like he finds a way to get his hand into your pocket,\u201d says one local of his fundraising prowess. \u201cHe\u2019s bought everything from Thomasville on up,\u201d says another. And yet, High Point\u2019s growing pains are still formidable. \u201cWinston-Salem has certainly done it,\u201d Qubein said last year<\/a> of the need for reform. \u201cDurham has certainly done it. So, this is not exactly a unique idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But High Point is unique, a stew\nof old and new blood with different approaches for moving forward. At the High\nPoint Historical Society\u2019s first meeting of 2019, baseball is off the agenda. The\ngroup mingles over mini chicken biscuits, petite cookies and K-cups of French\nroast coffee. They\u2019re hesitant to be firmly for or against the Rockers, but\nthey know change is brewing. \u201cEverything really had gotten just on hold,\u201d says native Anne Andrews,\na member of numerous historical commissions, while loosening the collar of her\nthick, black turtleneck. \u201cThere wasn\u2019t anything happening.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
On a typical morning in High Point, Main Street is relatively dormant. While the International Home Furnishings Center (IHFC) is bustling during Market, there is little year-round commerce and foot traffic around the space. (Photo by Chris Gentilviso)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another High Point native, main presenter and\nlocal author Benjamin Briggs isn\u2019t the stadium\u2019s biggest fan, but he\u2019s also not\na vocal detractor. A mild-mannered, clean-shaven encyclopedia of area history, his\nhesitation comes from lessons learned in other places. Take Greensboro, where the\n2005 arrival of a minor league baseball stadium transformed the city in unforeseen\nways. Nearby apartments now rent for $1,500 per month. As a steward of sacred\nspaces, Briggs wants revival without losing buildings forever. He\u2019s hoping a\ncottage within Oakwood Cemetery, a little brick oasis High Point planned to take\ndown, can morph into a genealogy center for the relatives of the 5,000-plus people\nburied there. \u201cMaybe we\u2019ll get some conventions out of that, with family\nreunions that put heads in beds and fill up our hotels and our restaurants,\u201d\nBriggs says, a subtle push away from grade-A gentrification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Qubein received his bachelor\u2019s degree<\/a> from High Point College in 1970, no one knew he would be the \u201cbus driver\u201d of the city\u2019s 21st<\/sup> century entrepreneurship. But he\u2019s the president of HPU, the chairman of a 220-store bakery chain, a board member of BB&T (the stadium\u2019s primary sponsor) and the steward for a High Point\u2019s new, diverse generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jim Armstrong, an area historian, is ready to let\ngo. His strong helmet of gray hair \nsurvived years of local debates on the Chamber of Commerce and other\nboards. His gold 1859 High Point Museum pin still shines on the lapel of his\ntweed jacket. But it\u2019s time for younger people to take the spotlight and lead.\n\u201cLook at what the hospital has been able to do!\u201d Armstrong says forcefully,\npumping his fist. \u201cRight there with the ball stadium. They can look out their\nwindow and see a ball game!\u201d He knows health care and HPU, not hosiery and\nfurniture, are the city\u2019s new top employers. At the end of the day, \u201cinfrastructure\nand young people are the two things revitalizing this core city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrews looks up pensively and can\u2019t help but\nagree. \u201cI think you\u2019re right.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For more than a century, furniture has been the heartbeat of downtown High Point. But as manufacturing jobs moved overseas, and showrooms sat empty for most of the year, the city realized more was needed to restore its sense of pride. *** IT\u2019S A SWELTERING … Continue readingThe Old Manufacturing era: Sitting pretty<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-26","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/chrisgent.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/26","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/chrisgent.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/chrisgent.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chrisgent.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/chrisgent.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"http:\/\/chrisgent.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/26\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":273,"href":"http:\/\/chrisgent.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/26\/revisions\/273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/chrisgent.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}