Furniture Brands’ Broyhill unit to close N.C. plant, layoff 700
Furniture Brands International Inc.’s Broyhill Furniture Industries subsidiary

said Monday that it will close its Pacemaker case goods manufacturing

facility in Lenoir, N.C., this August.The closing will eliminate all of the 700 salaried and hourly positions, according to a release.

The company cites increased competition from low-cost imports.

“This incredibly difficult decision is a direct result of the competitive pressures we are seeing in our domestically produced case-goods products,” says Tom Lentz, company spokesman. “Unfortunately, this has become a too-familiar consequence of the increasing global manufacturing environment in which our products must compete.”

Furniture Brands estimates the restructuring, asset impairment and severance charges associated with this closure will total about $5.1 million.

Furniture Brands’ Thomasville subsidiary announced in May that it was closing a manufacturing facility in Thomasville, N.C. That closing, scheduled for Aug. 1, will lay off 278 employees.

St. Louis-based Furniture Brands International Inc. (NYSE: FBN – News) manufactures furniture under the Thomasville, Henredon, Drexel Heritage, Maitland-Smith, Broyhill and Lane brands.

Published June 12, 2013 by the St. Louis Business Journal