Gov. Haley Barbour has just begun his tenure in Mississippi’s top office, and one of his first stops will be at Mississippi State University.
Barbour and first lady Marsha Barbour, along with Mississippi State President Charles Lee and other state and university officials, will be on campus Friday to officially open a technologically-advanced furniture research facility.
The Franklin Center for Furniture Manufacturing and Management will formally become part of the university in a 1:30 p.m. ceremony that is open to the public.
Located at the intersection of Blackjack Road and Locksley Way, the center will house laboratories, classrooms, offices, a showroom and an auditorium/distance learning classroom.
The building will provide students and researchers with an opportunity to conduct research for one of the most important industries in the state. The furniture industry contributes $4.1 billion to Mississippi’s economy and employs more than 50,000 people.
Lee said the new facility will help produce technology that can withstand a globally-competitive market.
“More than 25,000 people are directly employed in the furniture industry and another 25,000 people are indirectly dependent upon the furniture industry,” Lee said.
Steve Bullard, director of the Institute of Furniture Manufacturing and Management, said the future of the state’s economic success in the industry will depend on new research.
“The furniture industry is going through a major transformation and is facing very strong competition from countries around the world,” Bullard said. “Our purpose with our research, teaching, and service facilities here is to develop and deliver innovativeness and capabilities in the globally competitive business market in this century.”
MSU operates the largest university-based furniture research program in North America and has conducted research to improve the industry for 17 years.
Karen Brasher, director of the Forestry and Wildlife Research Center, said the research being conducted at MSU helps manufactures with problems by providing ways to use fewer personnel and produce less waste.
“When you have better furniture, you have more consumers,” Brasher said.
The new facility involves a collaboration among the colleges of Business and Industry, Forest Resources, Engineering and Architecture, as well as the MSU Extension Service.
The center is named after Hassell Franklin, chief executive officer of Franklin Corp., a major Chickasaw County manufacturing enterprise. His $1 million contribution joined a $3 million legislative appropriation and other significant contributions from the private sector to create the structure.
Franklin graduated from MSU in 1959 in industrial management, and was the university’s alumnus of the year in 1995.
In a press release, Franklin said he is confident that the new facility will have a major impact on the future of the furniture industry.
“The assistance that Mississippi State has provided, especially in implementing cutting-edge work processes, has made our company significantly more competitive in the global market,” he said in the release.
Brasher said the short courses and distance learning available in the new facility will help further Mississippi’s position in the industry.
Students are expected to move into the 35,000 square foot building, designed by Pryor and Morrow Architects, in the fall.