[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 21797]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             CONGRATULATING THE HIGH POINT FURNITURE MARKET

  Mr. CASEY. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of S. Res. 270 submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 270) Congratulating the High Point 
     Furniture Market on the occasion of its 100th anniversary as 
     a leader in home furnishing.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. CASEY. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the 
preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 270) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 270

       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
       Resolved, 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.

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