Thomas Russell
Company will show in tent outside showroom

HIGH POINT — Because of a faulty water pipe, occasional and dining room furniture manufacturer Sigla Furniture will likely have a reduced presence here at the April market.

Its showroom at 112 S. Elm St. sustained about $250,000 in damage from a burst water heater pipe during the last week in March. The water soaked the showroom carpet and damaged walls of the 5,000-square-foot showroom. It also damaged cabinets in the building’s kitchen.

Because of mildew damage to the showroom walls, the company will have to replace a four-foot-high section of drywall throughout the showroom. Since that won’t likely be completed before market, company President Ben Bakian said he expects to have to show product in a 1,000-square- foot tent next to the building.

Bakian said the incident occurred while he was traveling in China. He cut the trip short by about a week or so in order to survey the damage to the company-owned structure.

The leak occurred from a water heater at the back of the showroom and flowed down an incline leading to the main floor area.

Along with the building damage, Bakian estimated there was about $50,000 in damage to product samples from last October. He expects his insurance to cover the damage.

However, it was too soon for him to say how much business he might lose this market because of the reduction in showroom space. During a typical market, he does about $1.5 million in sales.

He hopes to make up any lost business at the July market in Las Vegas.

Sigla is not the only furniture company in High Point to have a water-related mishap lately. Around March 20, Maitland-Smith’s offices on Penny Road suffered damage from a burst water line inside the building.

The office is separate from the company’s showroom at 227 Russell Ave. in downtown High Point, and the accident won’t affect its ability to show this market. Company president Seamus Bateson said the incident did not damage any product in a warehouse adjoining the offices.