Family-owned furniture maker back in business days after a massive fire

STANLY COUNTY, N.C. — A family-owned furniture and upholstery warehouse in Stanly County burned to the ground last week but that has not stopped products from being made.

PAST COVERAGE: Community steps up after massive fire guts family-owned furniture business in Stanly County

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over the massive fire at Morgan Chair in Stanfield Friday afternoon.

“This is the biggest fire I’ve been a part of out here,” said Tyler Huntley, the assistant chief at West Stanly Fire Department.

The building, materials and machinery were destroyed, which was supposed to fill a backlog of 800 orders.

Morgan Chair fire Rubble left after massive fire at Morgan Chair in Stanly County.

“Legal teams have said it may be easier for you to walk away and that’s not what we are that’s not who we are,” owner Jesse Morgan said.

Less than 24 hours after the fire, someone in the community told Morgan they had the perfect place for the company.

“This building here had exactly what we needed,” said Morgan.

The following Monday, Morgan Chair was back in business.

“Sunday I got a text while I was in church,” said Chris Smith, the installation manager. “It said, ‘Come meet me at the new shop. What? What are you talking about?”

Smith has been with the company for seven years.

He said going to work on Monday was nothing short of a miracle.

“Monday morning, you get to come to work and you still have a job,” Smith said. “And you get to work with the same guys you know and love and the same guys you hang out with.”

Morgan Chair workers were eager to get started, and the community stepped in to get them up and running.

“The community came in on Monday night and said, ‘What do you need?’ And I said, ‘We need tables to cut the fabric.’ And they came in and built everything we needed.”

There is now a new hope for the next chapter of Morgan Chair.

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“This should not have been possible,” Morgan said. “Everyone said there was no way, but there was, and we made it.”

The Morgans will celebrate the accomplishment with the community at 3 p.m. Friday at the new space.

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