The struggles and hope of North Carolina's furniture manufacturing industry were captured in the news that the International Home Furnishings Center and the MMPI, two exhibition halls totaling 5.6 million square feet, may soon be sold.

Topping the news this week was a story on OSHA penalties for a countertop fabricator for exposing workers to silica particles. OSHA then added lock-out tag-out penalties. Home Depot extends a deal with U.S. Remodelers, and timber growers earn $50,000 an acre in truffle mushroom farming on live oak and filbert tree roots.

Expansions flooded millions in investment around the wood interiors markets with $310 million for  MPV RV, a 160,000 square foot expansion for PJ Works cabinetry. And Blum announced it would put $18.5 million into its Stanley, NC kitchen cabinet and commercial casegoods hardware plant.

Venetian Marble & Granite has been cited for allegedly exposing its employees to unsafe levels of crystalline silica particles by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.After fining them for that, OSHA added lock-out tag-out violation penalties for the countertop maker, too.

Blum Inc. has announced plans to invest $18.5 million dollars over the next two years in equipment upgrades and facility expansion at its Stanley, NC plant, where it manufactures hardware for kitchen cabinetry and casegoods.