HPU Professor Pens Book on University Relationship with Furniture Industry

October 31, 2021  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

High Point University was founded in 1924 as a small liberal arts college. The High Point Furniture Market was founded in 1909 and has grown to be the largest wholesale furniture market in the world. Over the past century, the furniture industry and the university have developed an ongoing, mutually beneficial partnership that has resulted in industry- specific programs for students.

The book provides a history of the relationship and the impact that real-world exposure has had on the students and the industry. Included are stories of several High Point University graduates who are successfully employed in various positions throughout the furniture business. Bennington unearths the history of a dynamic partnership.

Bennington earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and business from Emory and Henry College, a master’s degree in business administration from Virginia Tech and a doctorate in business education from the University of Georgia. In 1974, he came to High Point, where, over time, he has served as professor of business, chair of the Earl N. Phillips School of Business, director of the Home Furnishings Marketing Program and the Paul Broyhill Professor of home furnishings. He is the author of the book Furniture Marketing, from Product Development to Distribution.