Ekornes to Open N.C. Facility

July 20, 2011  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on July 21, 2011 Norwegian upholstery manufacturer Ekornes will open a U.S. assembly plant in Morganton, N.C.

Production is expected to start early next year.

The move is designed to enhance service to Ekornes' network of North American dealers by providing quicker delivery times on Stressless sofas.

"We are very excited to establish a production presence in the United States," said Oyvind Torlen, CEO of Ekornes ASA. "North America represents a primary global market for Ekornes. We are committed to delivering the highest level of quality products and service to our consumer and dealers there."

Research conducted by Ekornes, Inc. showed that more than eight weeks of waiting on furniture delivery is unacceptable to a consumer.

"Once a consumer decides on the furniture they want, we need to be able to deliver it quicker than their expectation," said Peter Bjerregaard, president of Ekornes Inc. "We want our network of retailers and their sales people to benefit from the sale sooner rather than later. Quicker delivery times on sofa sales will be a key element to our retailer support.€

Sofa components will be made in Norway and shipped to the new U.S. plant for assembly.

"Ekornes ASA has invested a substantial level of marketing resources to grow the Stressless brand in North America," said Torlen. "The next phase of our commitment is manufacturing there."