N.C. Development Group Retains McNeill Communications

August 26, 2010  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on August 27, 2010

Piedmont Triad Partnership has chosen McNeill Communications to direct marketing and communications for its new furnishings cluster initiative.
PTP is an economic development group representing North Carolina's 12-county Piedmont Triad region.

McNeill Communications, based in High Point, will work with the PTP to increase the global visibility of the Piedmont Triad region among domestic and international companies involved with multiple sectors of the furnishings cluster, including residential, contract, hospitality, institutional and others. The initiative aims to make these companies more aware of the unique furnishings related assets and resources that the region offers and to attract more companies to make capital investments and create jobs here.
          
The appointment of McNeill Communications is the first step in a comprehensive initiative that will be announced during the October High Point Market.
 
"McNeill was selected because they have impressive contacts worldwide and have a distinguished history of working within the furnishings industry," says Jim Melvin, chairman of the PTP's furnishings cluster initiative and president of the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation. "With more than 35 years of experience in the furnishings industry as a full-service marketing firm, their team has proven itself as a major player recognized by industry leaders."

The Piedmont Triad region boasts nearly 4,000 businesses related to furnishings, employing more than 65,000 people with an annual economic impact on the region of nearly $9 billion. The region is home to companies involved in wood bedroom and dining room, upholstery, occasional tables, entertainment, home office, outdoor furniture, accessories, fabrics, floor coverings, wall coverings and a broad range of other related products suitable for residential, contract and hospitality use. Supporting resources include design, technology, warehousing, logistics, education, photography, marketing and other services.
 
"The Piedmont Triad Partnership has identified this initiative as a top priority; our goal is to position the Piedmont Triad as the gateway for the global furnishings industry," said PTP CEO David Powell. "This region already is the world€™s hub for furnishings design, sourcing and distribution."

The PTP is also developing cluster initiatives in logistics and distribution, life sciences and nanotechnology.