VALDESE, NC - Shenandoah Furniture Co. plans to open an upholstered furniture production plant in  Mount Airy, NC. The privately held Valdese, NC-based firm's president Candace Payne announced the plan Friday.

“In today’s economy and competitive market, we are fortunate that we are in a position to invest in an expansion in order to meet our current production demands,” said Shenandoah Furniture's president Candace Payne.

Todd Tucker, president of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, said that a plant location has not yet been established, and his agency is assisting Shenandoah Furniture in the search. 

"We are very excited about it," Tucker said. "We are looking forward to helping them find a location here."

Tucker said the decision by Shenandoah Furniture to open a plant closely followed the closing of a local upholstered furniture plant by Henredon, leaving 134 unemployed. Henredon, a unit of Funriture Brands International, is consolidating its Mount Airy plant into another location in Cleary, NC, about 90 minutes away. It offered transfers to eligible employees.

Shenandoah Furniture does private label manufacture for high quality private labels, such as Crate and Barrel, Room & Board, and Design Within Reach.

The availability of a skilled workforce was an inducement for Shenandoah Furniture to move quickly, Tucker said. Shenandoah Furniture, founded in 1981, has plants in Martinsville and Collinsville, VA. A Valdese, NC plant was opened in 2006.