Terry Seitz’ plans for former Haworth seating plant materialize

Owner of Woodbrook Designs is having just over half the complex demolished and will use the remainder as a warehouse

HIGH POINT – Terry Seitz, an executive and owner of wood furniture resource Woodbrook Designs, said his plans for the former Haworth seating plant at 1673 W. English Road have changed since he purchased the complex earlier this past spring.

Terry Seitz outside his showroom complex at 812 Millis St. in High Point. Seitz said this facility, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is within walking distance of the former Haworth seating plant at 1673 W. English Road.

Seitz said the plans are to demolish two buildings on site that date back to 1910 and 1920. He will keep another building that dates back to 1980, which is roughly 62,000 square feet, or just under half of the 147,000-square foot complex.

Seitz originally planned to use the entire complex for a warehouse and distribution facility, occupying about 40,000-square feet for Woodbrook Designs and leasing the remainder.

However, Seitz told Home News Now that a feasibility study showed the older buildings had major structural problems that would have required a major upfit of more than $3 million.

“I would have loved to have saved it, but structurally there was nothing we could do to save it,” Seitz said of the two older buildings, which are being demolished early next week. “Once it got to over $3 million in repairs, that is when I said stop.”

He said the good news is that he was able to salvage the original solid oak floors from those buildings along with other historical elements, including two safes from the 1910 structure that will be on display in the 62,000-square-foot building he is keeping for a warehouse and distribution facility.

This is part of the former Haworth seating plant that Terry Seitz purchased this past spring.

“It was a job,” he said of workers having to cut through concrete and rebar to remove the two safes.

He also said he kept a half dozen old woodworking machines that will also be on display alongside the safes.  In addition, he is keeping an adjoining brick building and one of the original boiler units for the plant.

“I am planning on making it a really cool place,” Seitz said. “Let’s face it, it was a factory and I want people to know…that it was a factory.”

He said Woodbrook Designs plans to use just a portion of the 62,000-square-foot building as a  finished goods warehouse and plans to lease the rest.

“I really don’t need 60,000-square feet of space,” he said. “It would be for Woodbrook and maybe three other (companies). That is the way we will initially set this up.”

As it is zoned for heavy industrial, Seitz doesn’t foresee any problems in retrofitting the 1980 building and perhaps later developing the rest of the property after the demolition takes place. While he has some ideas for other year-round uses in mind, he is keeping those close to the vest for right now.

However, he said, along with other improvements, he plans to install some large windows on the side of the building where the 1920s building is being torn down.

The warehouse facility will open in the first quarter of 2022 and begin shipping product soon after.

Thomas Russell

Home News Now Editor-in-Chief Thomas Russell has covered the furniture industry for 25 years at various daily and weekly consumer and trade publications. He can be reached at tom@homenewsnow.com and at 336-508-4616.

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