University Loft To Open Warehouse & Manufacturing Facility

Furniture World Magazine

Mt. Comfort, IN will soon be the home to University Loft Company’s 508,000 square foot new warehouse and manufacturing facility. The facility, slated to open fall 2007, is estimated to be an approximately $22 million dollar project that has designated 58,000 square feet devoted to showcasing furniture, in addition to the 20,000 square feet that will be used to display sinks, tubs and plumbing solutions. “U Loft has not commented on this project until now, but we are ready to share these developments, and we are excited to see the industrial park come to life,” noted James Jannetides, President and CEO of University Loft Company. Although Mt. Comfort is approximately nine miles east of Indianapolis, Jannetides noted that the new facility will be within an eight-hour drive for 60% of the US population, due to its convenient location to I-70. “This building represents a significant milestone for ULC,” Jannetides noted. “Lots of competitors have looked at our unconventional ways of doing business and cannot understand why we continue to expand,” he stated, “It’s always something new with us and I believe that is what has led us to our success.” In the works for this new facility are small showrooms intended to look like scenarios that match the needs of University Loft’s customers, also known as planning centers. These showrooms will be designed to look like hotel rooms, college dormitories, mass merchant areas to allow customers to imagine what furniture would be best suited for their store or institution. ULC also plans to have a walking track, pond and coffee shop. Jannetides stated that University Loft Company has and will continue to be a positive impact on the community of Mt. Comfort. He noted that ULC has put $2.6 million into the town’s local infrastructure due to road improvements and utilities, along with future plans to donate furniture to the local elementary school and fire station. University Loft Company will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony upon completion of the new facility. University Loft Company was founded in 1986 by James Jannetides while attending Southern Illinois University. James built a loft for his room to maximize space in his typically small dorm room. Other students admired his loft system, and that summer James invested his savings in enough wood to build 400 loft units. Upon returning to school, these high-demand lofts were sold to fellow students and that’s where ULC was born. Today, ULC manages more than 1,200 university accounts per year. University Loft Company is considered a leader in the government sector and at retail. Committed to providing a superior product with an unmatched service level, University Loft Company is also a leader in the contract furniture industry.