AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT HNI CORPORATION

HNI Corporation is a manufacturer of commercial furnishings and building products. The company operates under two segments. The workplace furnishings segment is a leading designer and provider of commercial furnishings, going to market under multiple unique brands. The residential building products segment is the nation's leading manufacturer and marketer of hearth products, which include a full array of gas, electric, wood, and pellet-burning fireplaces, inserts, stoves, facings, and accessories.

Muscatine, Iowa-based HNI, a manufacturer of commercial office furnishings and building products, is restructuring its manufacturing footprint. The company has announced the closure of its Hickory, North Carolina plant in 2025 as it consolidates North American operations.

The closure will impact 200 production and operations workers.

According to CEO Jeff Lorenger, “Closing a facility is a difficult decision and is not a reflection on the hard work and effort of the Hickory operations team. We are grateful for their dedication and will work to assist them through this transition.”

“This is a strategic decision to optimize our operational footprint and improve business performance. We are announcing this several months in advance as part of our commitment to make the transition as smooth as possible. We will continue to grow our premium HBF business with our talented brand team in Hickory. This move will improve the customer experience for our trade partners and end-users, and more efficiently deliver on our commitments to safety, quality, lead-times and reliability.”

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. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT FELLOWES BRANDS

Itasca, Ilinois-based Fellowes Brands, a manufacturer of office equipment, modular walls, air monitoring equipment, and other office products, has announced plans to close its contract furniture division in Holland, Michigan.

The closure will impact 117 employees.

According to a company spokesperson, "The company provided significant investments and support with the goal of enabling needed systems, equipment, and process upgrades. Despite those investments, it was ultimately decided the business was in an unrecoverable condition. We are truly grateful for the many employees who have supported this operation, some for decades. The dedication of our employees has been displayed in many ways through these difficult times and I would like to express gratitude and appreciation from our entire Fellowes team. Despite our significant losses in this operation, in the coming months we will help our employees make their personal transitions in a way that is consistent with our values, and wish each employee impacted the best outcome possible.”

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. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?