This year is a special time for Southern Motion because it marks our 25th anniversary or as we like to say, 25 years in motion. Over the decades, Southern Motion Furniture has made its name as one of the largest furniture manufacturers in Mississippi and beyond, but how exactly did we get where we are today?
From small beginnings to the expansion of our team and factories, take a trip down memory lane to see how much Southern Motion Furniture has grown throughout the past 25 years.
Humble Beginnings for Southern Motion Furniture
The Creation of Southern Motion
To fully understand the history of Southern Motion, you need to jump back to the 1990’s when the company was merely a dream that co-founders, Guy Lipscomb and Larry Todd, were determined to make into a reality. Their business model was simple—manufacture solely reclining furniture and make it the best on the market.
After settling on the business model for their recliner manufacturing company, Lipscomb and Todd just needed a name. Rather than decide during a brainstorming session or two, Lipscomb stumbled upon the idea when he was shopping with his wife, Sandy. They saw a painting entitled, “Southern Motion,” by an artist in Birmingham, Alabama and instantly knew that was going to be the name of the company.
As a result of much hard work and preparation, Southern Motion was finally founded in 1996 in Pontotoc, Mississippi. Production operations began with a small team of just 43 associates. In November of 1996, we ran our first two pieces as an established recliner manufacturer and they were shown at Rooms To Go, a valued dealer that has been with us ever since.
Our Growth Throughout the Years
Southern Motion’s First Facility
After Southern Motion Furniture’s founding in 1996, the business really started to take off. Producing hundreds of reclining chairs and sofas in our 40,000-square-foot facility eventually became too much to handle and we needed more space.
In 1997, Southern Motion doubled its facility footprint to 80,000 square feet, but that didn’t last long either. By the time 2001 rolled around, the first phase of Plant 1 was complete with a whopping 180,000 square feet of space to build our American-made furniture.
Expanding Operations
With business booming and a high demand for reclining chairs and sofas, Southern Motion decided to take advantage of an opportunity to expand operations into something bigger than ever imagined. In 2005, we included Recline Designs in our portfolio of facilities. This 69,000-square-foot frame mill was just the first of a succession of expansions.
- Cushion to Go in 2008 – A 40,000-square-foot poly fabrication mill
- Plant #2 in 2010 – A 180,000-square-foot upholstery manufacturing facility
- Plant #3 in 2015 – Started at an old location in Baldwyn, MS, and moved in 2017 to our current 742,000-square-foot facility
The Acquisition of Fusion Furniture
As if the production of reclining chairs and sofas wasn’t enough to keep us busy, Southern Motion Furniture decided to broaden its horizons by acquiring Fusion Furniture (Fusion) in 2018. Because we already had a solid foothold within the reclining furniture industry, we believed this acquisition to be an opportunity for further growth in a new vertical of living room furniture—stationary furniture.
Formed on the motto “Where Style Meets Value,” Fusion produces stationary sofas, accent chairs, and ottomans to provide stylish, high-quality furniture to customers at very competitive prices. Founded in Ecru, Mississippi in 2009 by Bo and Alison Robbins, Fusion Furniture specializes in American-made furniture just like Southern Motion.
Currently, Fusion employs over 600 dedicated associates in four Mississippi-based manufacturing facilities consisting of 700,000 square feet. Together with Southern Motion, the two furniture brands comprise Southern Furniture Industries.
What Southern Motion Looks Like Today
Southern Motion Furniture
After 25 years in motion, Southern Motion has grown into a leading supplier of distinct styles of reclining chairs and sofas. We serve over 1,500 retailers with more than 2,000 store locations, as well as offer our product online through various e-tailers. With over 1,500 associates and five facilities in Northeast Mississippi covering 1.5 million square feet, Southern Motion continues its quest to build the “World’s Best Reclining Furniture.”
From our wide array of living room collections like Zero Gravity and Next Level to our innovative furniture features, we have every style of product to fit your needs.
Southern Furniture Industries
Southern Furniture Industries (both Southern Motion and Fusion) has over 35 years of combined history in American-made furniture manufacturing. Presently, both brands occupy nine facilities in Northeast Mississippi with a combined total of over two million square feet and 2,100+ associates.
To see what 25 years of hard work, amazing associates, and loyal customers has helped us achieve, take a look at Southern Motion Furniture’s current line of products. From sofas and sectionals to accent chairs, you’re sure to find the perfect furniture pieces for your home!
