III 111th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 270 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 16, 2009 Mrs. Hagan (for herself and Mr. Burr) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Congratulating the High Point Furniture Market on the occasion of its 100th anniversary as a leader in home furnishing.

Whereas, since the first home furnishings market was held in High Point, North Carolina in the spring of 1909, the High Point Furniture Market has gained a worldwide reputation as the premier place to experience the newest ideas in home furnishings; Whereas, as the home furnishings market that has more new product premieres than any other, the High Point Furniture Market has become known around the world as the launching pad for the home furnishings trends that will shape the culture and homes of the people of the United States for years to come; Whereas, every spring and fall for 100 years, as many as 85,000 people have traveled to the small city of High Point from all parts of the United States and more than 110 countries to participate in one of the largest and most influential commercial events in the world; Whereas the High Point Furniture Market is the intellectual and creative nerve center of the home furnishings industry in the United States, and the centerpiece of the furniture industry cluster in the region; Whereas a study conducted by High Point University in 2007 estimated the economic impact of the furniture industry cluster in the region at $8,250,000,000 annually and found that the furniture industry cluster was responsible for more than 69,000 jobs in the region; Whereas an economic impact study carried out at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro found that the High Point Furniture Market contributes approximately $1,200,000,000 each year to the economies of the City of High Point, the Piedmont Triad, and the State of North Carolina; Whereas the High Point Furniture Market is responsible for approximately 13,516 jobs, just under 20 percent of the furniture-related jobs in the Piedmont Triad; Whereas the High Point Furniture Market is a nonprofit organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; Whereas the Department of Commerce has awarded the High Point Furniture Market International Buyer Program status for 3 years; Whereas, as a participant in the International Buyer Program, the High Point Furniture Market represents the United States and the State of North Carolina to the world, and positions the home furnishings industry in the United States front and center on the world stage; and Whereas, as the first century of the High Point Furniture Market comes to a close in fall of 2009, the High Point Furniture Market continues to expand and improve, securing its position as the most important domestic and international event in the home furnishings industry: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)congratulates the High Point Market on the occasion of its 100th anniversary as a leader in home furnishing; (2)honors and recognizes the contributions of the High Point Furniture Market during the last 100 years; and (3)encourages the High Point Furniture Market to continue as the world-wide premier event of the home furnishings industry.