Contact: Sammy McDavid
Mississippi State's Franklin Furniture Institute is inviting state furniture manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and others to campus May 14 to learn more about numerous university resources and services available to them.
Taking place 8:00-4:30 p.m. at the Franklin Center, the program will include representatives from the colleges of Architecture, Art and Design; Arts and Sciences; Business; Forest Resources; and Bagley College of Engineering. Also on hand will be staff members from the Research and Curriculum Unit, Center for Safety and Health, and Academic Outreach and Continuing Education.
The Franklin Furniture Institute works with other university entities to provide services targeting all areas from product concept to delivery, including design, manufacturing, marketing, testing, and distribution. It also provides technical assistance, workforce training, education, and export assistance to manufacturers, suppliers and retailers.
"The domestic furniture industry has been hard hit by the dramatic increase in imported products from low-wage countries, increases in raw material supplies, the collapse of the housing market, and the downturn in the national economy," said Bill Martin, institute director. "Many of the manufacturers in North Mississippi, however, are holding their own despite difficult conditions."
Additional information on the forum is available at www.ffi.msstate.edu/focus.asp; or by contacting Amy Garrard at 662-325-8453 or agarrard@cfr.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.