Judy Mendenhall International Home Furnishings Market Authority

Question 5:

Mitch Lewis:
"With all the economic and workforce uh, situations hitting the Triad, furniture market, tobacco, textiles, how do you see the future of this region?" 

Judy Mendenhall:
I think this region has a bright future. I think that the strength of this region is the fact that years ago business leaders and elected officials came together and said, "You know, we need to begin diversifying our economy. We need to begin looking at jobs that offer a variety of employment opportunities for our citizens. Either for citizens who are displaced because plants close and need a job or people who have a job but want to maybe move up a notch or two, have a better quality of life." So this area began looking at the service industry seriously and began looking at ways to change, if you will, the face, its face. The face of the Triad right now is-is great deal different than it was ten or fifteen years ago. And I think that that's been a positive thing. And, and as I see it, when FedEx arrives and other things like that takes place, we will continue to see growth that will provide job opportunities because in order to stay ahead, and it isn't just the traditional textile and furniture and tobacco industries that we see losses; a turndown in the economy hits a lot of, a lot of businesses. So, we have to continue to look at ways to either expand those who are doing well or to recruit new industry that can come into the town and into the area and provide new job opportunities. I think the Triad has done that. We've taken some hits but we've brought some new businesses in to replace those too.

Question 6:

Mitch Lewis:
Judy, is there anything that we haven't discussed that you feel that folks need to know about as it relates to the economy, the textile industry, the International Home Furnishings Market or anything dealing with the economy of the Triad?

Judy Mendenhall:
I guess from my perspective, since I'm so close to the Market itself, I would just have to say that this Market has grown and evolved over the years. We're getting close to our 100th birthday. And yet still for many people throughout the state of North Carolina it's an unknown. It's a secret, if you will. People don't really know about the Market or don't understand its value. So I think the fact that the Market itself is getting ready to do an economic impact study will allow us to share with the rest of the state the true value of this market, probably somewhere between two and three billion dollars a year. And that's not just people who work two weeks out of the year in these buildings at Market. It's all of the small business people, all of the other businesses that are here because the market exists. And it's important for the, for all of us to understand the value of these people who come here twice a year to do business and to treat them with respect and to treat them fairly and, if you will, not kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Las Vegas is still out there and there are other cities who would love to have this Market and who would bend over backwards to welcome the people who come now to this region and this state. So I think it's important for all of us-business people, homeowners, just general citizens-to understand that we all need to be good ambassadors for this market.