Jeff Linville — Furniture Today,
APPOMATTOX, Va. — Thomasville Furniture plans to close its Founders Furniture division,


which makes promotionally priced, particleboard bedroom furniture.

Founders has been in business since 1974 but has seen its sales slip, the company said in an announcement. The division is slated to close by the end of the year.

Phil Miller, president of Thomasville’s Virginia-based operations, announced the change to dealers in a letter last week. Founders’ sister lines in Virginia, the imported Vignettes brand and the Creative Interiors ready-to-assemble division, will not be affected, he said.

“As you know, there have been dramatic changes in the furniture industry over the last few years with low-priced imports and large, full-line furniture companies changing the landscape,” Miller said in the letter. “Unfortunately, we cannot meet the financial performance, continue to offer a quality product, and compete in the promotional-print bedroom segment of the market.”

In an interview, he declined to disclose Founders’ sales, but said it amounted to about 4% of the Virginia operations’ volume.

“The profitability of it didn’t warrant remaining in it for that small business,” he said.

He said the Virginia division’s two plants have been operating six days a week, 24 hours a day, and that sales in RTA and contract have grown by double digits this year.

For retailers carrying Founders, Miller said in the letter that the company has “ample inventories to cover most all orders for the next 90 days; and we will execute balancing production runs as needed.”

He added, “Our general office and production facility in Appomattox, Virginia, will continue to service our Creative Interiors, Vignettes and Contract operations. Our customer service lines and repair parts center will be available to service orders and resolve any open issues you may have.”

Thomasville is part of Furniture Brands International, which also owns Lane, Broyhill, Henredon, Drexel Heritage and Maitland-Smith.