Selected Furniture Coming to Knox

Selected Furniture LLC will be relocating from China to Knox, Indiana. Selected Furniture produces commercial seating and this season, are bringing you the best set of chairs for the winter.

Charles Weaver, Executive Director of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation, talks more about the new business that will be housed in the old Rockwell Building on Culver Road.

“The wood product comes from Europe,” Weaver explained. “It’s now shipped to China where it is shaped and then sent to Chicago. The metal is fabricated in another factory in China and sent to Chicago. People there then assemble and finish the furniture you can find at the TV Bed Store catalogue. It’s then shipped to the dealer.”

Weaver was asked why Tommy Shelef, the Managing Director, is bringing the operation from China to the U.S.

“He told me delivery wasn’t always what it ought to be. When he was ready to assemble in Chicago, he many times didn’t have the parts from China. He felt that he could do a better product in the U.S. using American workers, with the appropriate equipment.”

Weaver talked about Shelef selecting the Rockwell plant.

“Why Knox, Indiana? Well Tommy told me he knew about our work force. He knew there had been a strong furniture background here, such as that Portable Seating online. Ultimately, he wants to bring both operations from China to Knox. He wants to do all the fabricating in Starke County. He wants to do the assembly in Starke County and he wants to do the shipping out of Starke County. As to the workers, there may be one or two management people coming from Chicago, but by-in-large he’s looking for all of his workers from here.”