Norwegian Furniture Manufacturer Opens Plant in North Carolina -- First Plant Outside of Europe

June 14, 2012

Objective is to reduce lead times of sofas in U.S. and Canada.

Ekornes ASA a Norwegian manufacturer of such brands as Ekornes, Stressless and Svane will be opening a new 100,000 square foot United States Stressless facility located in Morganton, North Carolina.

Ekornes currently operates six production facilities throughout Norway. This will be the first production facility for Ekornes outside of Europe and is expected to greatly reduce lead times on Stressless sofas made for delivery in the United States and Canada.

While the company's internal sofa components will continue to be manufactured in Norwegian factories, the new U.S. plant will receive these components and will then do sewing and assembly in the Morganton.

Retail stores such as LifeStyles Furniture in Davenport, Iowa an Ekornes dealer for over 15 years have welcomed the news of a Stressless sofa plant in the United States. "The U.S. warehouse has always had a strong selection of Stressless recliners however sofas, loveseats and chairs most often had to be ordered out of Norway with 12-14 week lead times. This often made consumers hesitant to commit to a waiting period of months for a custom piece of furniture. The expectation is that these lead times will be greatly reduced once the U.S. plant is running at capacity," said Brian Banks, president Lifestyles Furniture.

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor

Focus: Workforce, Talent

Follow Me on Twitter: @ASelkoIW

Bio: Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with the publication and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics and EHS Today.

Editorial mission statement: Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I find manufacturing interesting: On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world.