THOMASVILLE — One local business may have closed its doors in October, but it was not a permanent change. Instead, it is within two months — or fewer — of re-opening in its newest carnation.

At its peak, Thomasville Home Furnishings employed 110-120 in two shifts. Now, eight people work for the business — Thomasville At Home — full-time. Once it reopens, plans are to have 15-30 full-time workers.

“I’ve worked here since I was 18,” said Renee Broadway. “This is like a second family to me. We want to get some of our employees back to work.”

Thomasville Home Furnishings supplied sheets, comforter sets and curtains wholesale to retail stores including Bed, Bath & Beyond, Linens and Things, West Point Home and Dillard’s. The plan at new reborn company, Thomasville At Home, is to provide the same quality goods retail through a local storefront and Web presence.

“We were very low profile here for a number of years,” Broadway said. But, the company has already changed that by opening its Big Linen Sale, a retail outlet that opened Jan. 11 and operates three days a week — Thursday, Friday and Saturday. While the goods the store currently sells are not produced by the Thomasville manufacturer, that should change soon. The Big Linen Sale provides price-geared selections for the bargain hunter, but will grow to include an upscale selection of Thomasville At Home products.

Broadway, who wears many hats for the company, explained that the company grew to be unable to compete with the Chinese market as the textile industry moved overseas and had even begun importing fabric from China before it closed its doors.

“The big retailers tell you what they’ll pay for the product” and providers do what they can to make products within those budgets, Broadway said.

But, that’s all about to change as the company eliminates its wholesale customer base. A recent visit by a fabric salesman shows Thomasville At Home’s commitment to American. The salesman represented three companies — all who use U.S.-manufactured fabrics.

“Very few companies can rival our products,” said Toni James, customer service director. “We provide a quality product, an almost custom product, for a ready-made price.” She added that the Thomasville brand almost sells itself because it has such a reputation for quality.

Marketing the new store won’t be a major transition, Broadway said, because the company is very self-sufficient.

“We have experience with Internet sales; we’re experts at drop-shipping and tracking,” she said.

The company also has experience designing and photographing settings that display its home furnishing products.

“We can design it, make it, shoot it, put it out,” added James. “And, our attention to detail sets us apart.”

When Thomasville Home Furnishings opened its doors in 1978 and sold mostly to mobile home manufacturers, a bedroom set may have included six or seven patterns of fabric. Now, pillows, trim and extras call for nearly 30 fabrics sometimes.

“We’re a brand new company with a brand new product,” Broadway said. “We’re not going to come out of the gate empty-handed. We have a lot to offer and we’re working on nearly a dozen new patterns.”



For more information about Thomasville At Home, visit www.thomasvilleathome.com. The site will be up as the company begins its production again within the next 60 days.