N.C., High Point Dignitaries Help Usher Christopher Guy Building

April 24, 2017  by Larry Thomas in High Point, Industry, Market, Special Events   

Company founder Christopher Guy Harrison said he had long dreamed of having a showroom “in the very heart of High Point, the epicenter of the U.S. furniture industry.” During a ribbon cutting ceremony, he thanked International Market Centers CEO Robert Maricich, whose company owns the building, for helping make that dream a reality.

“For many years, the industry here was all about manufacturing. Now it’s about marketing and design,” Harrison told the gathering. “This is really the image I want for my company.”

The two-story 20,000-square-foot showroom, which cost more than $6 million, features a pair of infinity pools near the main entrance, and several massive windows that extend from ground to near the top of the building. A spiral staircase connects the two floors.

The building is located at 129 S. Hamilton St., about a half-block from the Commerce Street entrance to the International Home Furnishings Center.

Maricich said the structure is the first showroom built from the ground up in High Point since 2005.

“This new showroom is more than just a building.  It is a catalyst for what’s new and what’s next,” Maricich said at the ribbon-cutting. “High Point Market is 107 years old, and the creation of this showroom confirms its position as the home for the home furnishings industry for the next 100 years ahead.”

In congratulating Harrison and Maricich on the building, Cooper told the crowd that it reinforces High Point’s stature in the furniture industry.

“High Point is the place to be for furniture and furniture manufacturing. High Point is North Carolina’s window to the world for furniture,” Cooper said.