The company, which had announced the project in August, has just closed on 16.8 acres at the southwest intersection of Plano Parkway and Parker Road. The Leather Center presently headquarters in 139,000 sf of office and manufacturing space at 2724 Realty Rd. in Carrollton. The bulk of this year will be spent working with architects, who have yet to be selected, to design the headquarters that will break ground in spring or summer 2002, Paul Miller, Leather Center CFO, told GlobeSt.com.

The Leather Center, which employs 700 nationwide, is a leading retailer and manufacturer of leather furniture. Miller says more employees and more manufacturing space are a must for the retailer, which has a 400-member workforce in Dallas. He says the undertaking culminates a plan set in motion five years ago. The site search had taken a year, with the focus being in the metroplex's northern tier in the path of the proposed Texas 121 extension.

Miller feels confident the 2002 project is a go regardless of talk about a recession by US economists. "We're well positioned and will continue to perform very well in this economy," he emphasizes. The Leather Center also is making plans for openings this year in Denver and possibly Houston. The Leather Center has more than 100 stores in 31 states.