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May 14, 2020
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By Garrett Stell
gstell@newstopicnews.com
May 13, 2020 4:47 PM
A bedding manufacturer that has distribution operations in multiple warehouses in Lenoir has purchased another major warehouse in the city and says it plans to add jobs there.
Malouf Fine Linens, a Utah-based linen manufacturing and distribution company that focuses on bedding, purchased the 500,000-square-foot former Broyhill Furniture Miller Hill Complex warehouse near the intersection of Southwest Boulevard and Morganton Boulevard in Lenoir for $9 million, according to property transfer records from the Caldwell County Register of Deeds.
The property has a tax-assessed value of $3.9 million, according to county property records.
Malouf purchased home furnishing company Salt Flat at the end of April, and Malouf’s added distribution space in Lenoir will house that inventory as well as future products as Malouf continues to expand its offering, a company press release said.
Salt Flat furniture will soon be available for shipping to all U.S. regions, CEO Sam Malouf said in the release.
“When we acquired Salt Flat, we knew we needed more space to accommodate the products, and this new property fits perfectly within our existing logistical footprint,” he said.
Ryan Egbert, national director of distribution for Malouf, said in the release that he expects the expansion to lead to new jobs in the Lenoir area.
“Lenoir has a rich history in the home furnishings industry, and we’re excited to keep contributing to the communities that have built this incredible legacy,” Egbert said.
Malouf is currently conducting maintenance to bring the building to company standards and plans to begin distributing out of the facility in the fall.
The newest purchase gives Malouf 965,936 square feet of warehouse space in Lenoir, approximately one-quarter of the company’s 4 million square feet of distribution space nationwide. It’s other distribution centers are in Texas, Ohio and Utah.
Malouf already owned multiple warehouse properties around Lenoir – including the former Avery Denison building off Cooperative Way and two properties totaling over 300,000 square feet inside the Lenoir Industrial Complex. Those properties are used as warehouses for distribution and office spaces.
The Miller Hill warehouse was the subject of a protracted court dispute between its previous owner, Miller Hill Lenoir LLC, and Heritage Home Group. Miller Hill Lenoir maintained that Heritage Home Group, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2018, owed a large amount of unpaid rent, including for use extending long past the date of the bankruptcy filing.