— Furniture Today,
FALL RIVER, Mass. — Quaker Fabric has laid off another 225 employees in administration and manufacturing, reducing its work force to just over 1,000.


Larry Liebenow, president and CEO of the upholstery fabric supplier, placed the blame on “fierce competition from imported Chinese fabrics, rising energy prices and weakness in the retail furniture sector,” which he said has reduced order rates and production requirements.

While Quaker’s employment has declined from a peak of 2,800 in 2002, Liebenow said the company remains committed to its U.S. manufacturing base.

“To that end, we are continuing to cut costs and to execute the restructuring plan we put in place last year — selling off the buildings and equipment we don’t need to support our operations; aggressively working to build sales in those domestic markets least sensitive to imported products; achieving profitable volume in the decorative, outdoor and contract fabric markets; and developing strategically important commercial relationships with a small number of offshore fabric mills.”