Ekornes Opposes N.C.’s HB2

April 7, 2016  by in Industry, Legal   

Peter Bjerregaard, president of Ekornes, has mailed the following letter to N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory.

Dear Governor McCrory: 

The furniture industry has spent years celebrating diversity and supporting all groups that are a part of it. It is the foundation of the industry’s heritage and our company is no different. Ekornes is an 80+ year old global manufacturer and leader in high-end luxury leather home furnishings, headquartered in Sykkylven, Norway, with offices around the globe.

You can imagine that a global company is built around diversity and inclusion for all groups. We support fairness, open communication and we celebrate our differences to move forward and grow rather than discriminating based upon them. Really, there is no other way toward progress. 

The recent passage of your HB2 Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act in the state of North Carolina is a blatant and outright disregard for inclusion, equality and basic human rights not only for the people of the state of North Carolina but far beyond. What you have done is made it legal to discriminate against anybody on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, gender, handicap, biological sex or sexual orientation. We do not agree with that, do not support it and it completely contradicts the values of inclusion and diversity that Ekornes and our entire industry represents. 

Like many others, we are a long-standing major contributor of the International Home Furnishings Market. We have paid millions of dollars throughout the past decades to support this industry event, the city of High Point and its surrounding areas. 

In addition we made the very conscious decision to open an assembly plant in Morganton, N.C., several years ago to better serve our North American customers. This was an unprecedented move for us as no manufacturing had been done outside the country of Norway until then and most manufacturing was still leaving the U.S. We employ numerous hard-working employees and contribute greatly to that area’s local economy. We were proud to open that facility because of the location, the wonderful people and the impact it could have on our business.

We will attend High Point Furniture Market this spring to demonstrate support for our industry; however, we do not support you or your discriminatory legislation. 

We always have the option to re-locate manufacturing, stop exhibiting at High Point and suspend spending money in your state and we will thoughtfully consider those options if you do not rethink your decision and repeal this horrendous law immediately.