News Articles
Global furniture maker opens up new manufacturing facility in Asheboro
May 27, 2021
ASHEBORO - Sedia Systems, a global manufacturer of lecture hall and auditorium furniture, recently opened up a new plant in Asheboro, North Carolina.
Their clients stretch all over the world, from Columbia Business School in New York City to Hyundai corporate in South Korea. Lecture hall furniture is a niche market, and the few players in that market have a wide reach, according to CEO Wilson Troup.
The new facility is a consolidation of two existing plants in High Point and will be located on 335 Commerce Drive. It will bring the company's manufacturing arm closer to its administrative, accounting, sales, and operations offices.
"The idea was to increase our efficiencies, bringing everyone under one roof," says Troup.
The current headquarters for Sedia Systems are in Chicago, but Troup plans to continue moving operations to and expanding in Asheboro.
"The jobs that were supported in Chicago will, for the most part, come down to Asheboro, so it's kind of an evolution over the coming years," explains Troup. "We had people that did move from our other facilities down to Asheboro, but we are actively seeking employees. So it'll have an impact over the coming years, as we have some aggressive growth plans."
Over the next few years, Sedia Systems plans to double in size. Sedia Systems has hired three new employees so far and plans to add another four or five in the next few weeks. Available jobs include packers, machine operators, administrators, assemblers, and project engineers.
A key reason why Sedia has chosen to expand operations in Asheboro is due to the "very welcoming business environment," according to founder Wilson Troup.
Sedia Systems gets a core part of its business from renovating and building auditorium spaces for colleges and universities all over the world. Among its clients in North Carolina are UNC, NC State, High Point University, and A&T. Their furniture is also in Ivy League universities across the nation and universities across Europe and Canada.
Because they serve universities, Sedia Systems gets over 50% of its business throughout June, July, and August, so it was critical to open the plant sometime in May. Troup credits city officials in Asheboro for the quick turnaround time on necessary renovations. Instead of waiting for months and going through layers of ureaucracy, Troup felt that he was supported and encouraged to develop.
"The Randolph County Economic Development Corporation, as well as the city and county, had been very proactive in facilitating the project," says Troup.
“We’re always eager to see a vacant building put back into use,” said Kevin Franklin, President of Randolph County Economic Development Corporation. “It’s great to have Sedia Systems come into our community. We think it’s a win-win for all parties.”
Asheboro Mayor David Smith said he’s excited to welcome Sedia Systems to the town of 26,000 residents and noted that the community has a long legacy of furniture and textile manufacturers.
During the pandemic, the company stayed afloat because many clients were still building new auditoriums, but they lost some revenue since most renovations were cancelled. However, as the pandemic eases, their business has been picking back up.
Troup anticipates significant growth in the coming years and is enthusiastic about Asheboro. "I would be the biggest fan of Asheboro and bringing manufacturing to the area."
Sedia Systems ribbon cutting and tour
May 6, 2021
Sedia Systems, Inc. hosted a ribbon cutting and a tour of their new Asheboro facility today. They are a global fixed lecture room seating, auditorium seating, multipurpose seating and acoustics company with headquarters and showroom located in Chicago. The company has produced products in North Carolina for 15 years with plans to consolidate its two operations located in High Point, with one in Randolph County and one in Guilford County along with their headquarters and eventually their showroom in Chicago to Asheboro, NC.