Temple Celebrate 50 Years at Market

April 2, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on April 3, 2012

Custom upholstery producer Temple Furniture will celebrate its 50th year in business at the April 21-26 High Point Furniture Market.

Temple, a High Point exhibitor since 1984, will mark the occasion with special promotions, giveaways and events at its showroom, 200 N. Hamilton St., in the South Court, Space 210.
 
"We salute Temple Furniture, the Parker family and all of their employees on this major milestone,"said Julie Messner, vice president of leasing for International Market Centers. "This is a fine company with a proud, made-in-America legacy and we are thrilled to have them as a long-time tenant at 200 N. Hamilton."
 
The company, based in Maiden, N.C., will hold a cake-cutting celebration on Sunday, April 22, 5-7 p.m. as part of its customer appreciation reception. In addition, it is developing special product promotions with discounted anniversary pricing that will be announced at market.
 
Prize drawings will be held during market in honor of the anniversary, and the company also is planning to donate 50 items to its local Habitat for Humanity chapter this year to recognize the important role the community has played in its success.
 
"We're very excited about this big event," said Kim McRee, marketing director and granddaughter of company founders Cecil and Mossie Parker. "We'll be doing a lot of exciting things at market to mark the occasion of our 50th birthday."
 
Cecil Parker started the company as Temple Manufacturing in an old church building in Maiden. A former upholsterer for a manufacturer in Hickory, Parker was joined in the start-up by his wife Mossie, who cut fabric swatches in the early days and later managed the office.
 
The company operated in the old church for about nine years, said McRee, moving to a new building in 1971. Over the years, that facility has been expanded several times, and it now stands at 120,000 square feet, with two plants and office space.
 
"We are totally family owned and made in America," said Tony Parker, president and CEO of Temple Furniture and its sister company Parker Southern. "Our success is built on quality products and top-notch service. We offer three- to four-week delivery on all orders, 85 percent of which is custom."
 
In 1978, Tony and his brother Gary took ownership of Temple Inc. from their parents. Both Cecil and Mossie remained active in the company until 2005, when they retired. Cecil, Mossie and Gary all passed away within days of one another in June 2011--Gary, after a battle with cancer, and Cecil and Mossie from brief illnesses. At the time of their deaths, Cecil and Mossie had been married for almost 71 years.
 
Today, a third generation of the Parker family is active in the company. In addition to Kim McRee, who is Tony's daughter, the management team includes: Kelly McRee, Kim's husband, who is general manager; Rebecca Cox, Gary's daughter, fabric manager; Donald Cox, Rebecca's husband, sales manager at Temple Furniture; Angie Wright, Tony's daughter, designer; Tarbee Wright, Angie's husband, a sales representative at Temple and sales manager at Parker Southern; Adrian Parker, Tony's son, general manager at Parker Southern; and Lori Parker, Adrian's wife, creative director of marketing.
 
"Family is a big part of our company," said Tony Parker. "And we see our customers as family, too. Our oldest customer has been doing business with us for 40 years. Our customers and our employees are our biggest assets."
 
At market, Temple Furniture will introduce 13 sofa groups and several chairs in traditional and transitional styling, including some new models for Tailor Made, its "design it yourself" collection with multiple arm, back and base options. In addition, the company is adding 100 new fabrics and leathers to its cover offerings.
 
"It will be the biggest introduction I can remember," said Kim McRee, who has been working for Temple for more than two decades. "Our custom approach is a big plus--we're very designer-friendly."
 
Priced in the mid to upper end of the market, all of the company's upholstery features eight-way, hand-tied construction. The line includes sofas, sofa-sleepers, sectionals, chairs, ottomans and chaises, with a range of more 1,000 fabrics and 50 leathers, and more than 120 trims and 25 wood finishes.
 
To promote its line, Temple Furniture is in the process of putting together a new 50th edition catalog. In March, it also redesigned its Web site.
 
At both Parker Southern and Temple Furniture, an effort is made to 'recycle, reuse and reduce' wherever possible," said McRee. Used cardboard and paper is donated for recycling to RHA Health Care Services, a local nonprofit that uses the proceeds to support programs for the disabled. Used ink cartridges also are donated to a local school as part of an ongoing fundraising campaign.
 
In addition, all of the companies' seat cushions are made with a renewable soy-based polyol. The cushion fibers consist of 80 percent regenerated fibers, as do the arm padding, seat deck and trim padding. Springs are made of 60 percent recycled metal.
 
Parker Southern, which Adrian Parker launched in 1991 and Temple Furniture acquired in 2003, also will be introduce new models at market. Known for its upper-end accent chairs, as well as dining and office seating, the company specializes in custom-order traditional styles.
 
Parker Southern shows at 200 N. Hamilton St., in the North Court, Space 103.