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Habersham Moves High Point Showroom, Plans Training Center
August 12,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on August 13, 2012
High-end furniture vendor Habersham will move its High Point Furniture Market for the October show.
Also, in an effort to significantly enhance its dealer/designer training capabilities and high-end client service offerings, Habersham plans to convert its existing design studio near corporate headquarters in Toccoa, Ga., into a full-scale training/design center.
In High Point, Habersham will relocate its showroom in the Market Square building from its long-standing location on the main level to space 191.¨¨In recent years weve invested in a number of factory and operational improvements that have dramatically expanded our custom furniture and cabinetry capabilities, said Matt Eddy, CEO of Habersham. As the trade and higher-end consumer audience for our custom offerings has grown, so too has demand for the detailed product training and high-touch customer service the custom segment requires. By consolidating and redirecting some of our resources, well be able to build a destination training and design center that not only arms our dealer/designer base with the tools and knowledge they need to effectively explain and sell the line, but it will also provide a showplace to meet with VIP customers, as well as a host of other programs we plan to develop.
Located just a few miles from the main Habersham factory, the design studio was originally built to house offices and studio space for the companys artisan and design team. The factory expansions/improvements have since created space for the team to move into the main plant, opening up the opportunity to redesign and expand the design studio. Plans call for a complete build-out of the space to showcase a variety of Habersham kitchen, master bath, master closet and other cabinetry designs, as well as a number of the lines top-selling and prototype furniture styles. In addition, the space will also include various meeting spaces outfitted with finish samples, training tools, computers for demonstrating CAD and other renderings and more.
The companys new High Point showroom will continue to be the launching pad for new furniture introductions and a showplace for some of the companys latest custom cabinetry and furniture innovations. ¨¨The new High Point showroom will be more boutique in style, said Habersham President Tom Skipper. Showcasing all elements of Habershams capabilities, it will offer an enticing footprint for stand-alone retail or in-store boutiques. Designers will find it easy to work and refreshingly creative.¨¨We think there will be great synergy between the two spaces, Eddy said. The High Point showroom will continue to offer a broad overview of our latest designs and classic best-sellers while the new design and training center invites our customers to go deeper -- learning how to truly maximize the sales potential the line offers and, ultimately, expand their business with us. Weve only scratched the surface of the opportunities we think the new training/design center will provide. Our sales representatives can bring their VIP trade customers here. Our trade customers can bring their key clients here. Well be able to develop and host individual training programs custom-tailored to the specialized needs of our customers. The list goes on and on.
Looking forward, Eddy says the company is also exploring other avenues to continue building business for its upscale custom offerings, including potential participation in trade shows that exclusively target the higher-end market.