Danbury, Connecticut-based Ethan Allen Interiors, the home furnishing manufacturer and distributor, plans to restructure operations to further the company’s vertical integration.
The consolidation effort will result in 380 layoffs, 325 from the company’s manufacturing facility in Old Fort, North Carolina, and 55 employees in the company’s Passaic, New Jersey distribution center.
The Passaic distribution operation will be transferred to North Carolina and the art framing operations will be outsourced. he Old Fort facility will be re-purposed to serve as a state-of-the-art distribution center and the company will continue its lumber processing function. Fifty-percent of Old Fort’s case goods manufacturing will be transferred to the company’s two facilities in Orleans and Beecher Falls, Vermont.
The decision is purely a business one to reduce costs and consolidate operations.
The company's Chairman, President and CEO, Farooq Kathwari, noted “I have had a personal close association with many of these associates for about 40 years. They leave a legacy of fine artisanry, safety, and manufacturing leadership."
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere ... are you now wondering, Am I Next?