Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Furniture First to Construct 40,000 Square-Foot Showroom Building in High Point
February 27,
2022 by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry 
The Furniture First buying group has purchased property in the 300 block of South Main Street in High Point and will construct a 40,000 square-foot showroom building on the site.
The four-story building is scheduled to open in October 2023. Furniture First will occupy the first two floors, while the third and fourth floors will be available for lease as showroom space.
Furniture First currently leases a 5,000 square foot showroom in IHFC G-770.
“The dream of having our own showroom building in High Point has been discussed by the board and staff for many years. We feel now is the time to invest in a building that will be an asset and the location is prime,” said Eric Sinclair, chairman of the Furniture First board of directors. “Much of the recent expansion in High Point has been in that area. We designed a building with a tremendous wow factor and can’t wait for it to be completed.”
The property at 336 S. Main St. had been occupied by the Plaza Café since 1989.
“We are all very excited for the opportunity to mold our two-floor showroom to our members’ needs. We will also have space for our service partners who wish to be there, and a greater opportunity to showcase products from our merchandise partners,” said Andrew Kauffman, CEO of Furniture First.
“Our members are always looking for a place to get together to share ideas – networking is important to them. The second floor will be set up to support this and will provide ample space for our board and our performance groups to meet,” Kauffman added. “We will have a conference room that can accommodate up to 30 people. We also plan on paying tribute to the Plaza Café in our hospitality area.”
He said the buying group is “very close” to securing two tenants for the third floor and has partnered with Marc DeLille of Price Commercial Properties to market the balance of the space.
Each floor will include multiple outdoor entertainment areas, and Kauffman said he’s confident the remaining space will be leased quickly.
A special committee of the Furniture First board and staff has been working with Freeman Kennett Architects and Dunbar & Smith Contracting for the past four months to design the building, he said.