Furniture Today,
HIGH POINT — Soft Line SPA, an importer of Italian-made upholstery, has signed a multi-million dollar


contract to purchase Collezione Europa’s former market showroom here at 131 W. Commerce Ave.

Collezione Europa, which had outgrown that location, has leased the former Hickory White space at 206 E. Green Drive, according to Paul Frankel, chief operating officer.

Soft Line, which previously had an 8,500-square-foot showroom in the National building, will be in the new space for next month’s High Point Market. The former Collezione space is 14,000 square feet.

Ivan Garry of Brown Investment Properties, a High-Point based real estate agency, is brokering the deal. He said the building, which carried an initial asking price of $3.2 million, had been relisted at $2.5 million prior to Soft Line’s offer.

According to Guy Ray, senior vice president of Soft Line, the deal was motivated by the company’s growth and an ongoing commitment to its dealers as well as to the High Point market.

“We reworked our line last market and the reaction to those products was such that it helped justify a move to a larger venue,” Ray said. “With this move, we will be located at a very prominent and convenient location, making it easier than ever for our dealers to come and see us.

“And based on the reaction to our reworked line, I am convinced that there is a strong market for Italian-made leather and that High Point is where serious buyers come to write serious business,” he said.

Guy said Soft Line will unveil 30 new frames at the market, ranging in price from $699 to $1,299 retail.