Jim Stone, Freelance Journalist

America's largest furniture manufacturer closed abruptly

Lane furniture suddenly closed it's doors with no prior warning and fired all 2,500 employees in manufacturing without prior notice. There were no impending suits or contract disputes. Either an enemy bought them out and closed them to further wreck the country or something huge is on the horizon that the management was aware of. Maybe they did not want their resources and employees re-appropriated for war? No one knows.

HIGH POINT - United Furniture Inds. has terminated all employees. The company, which has operated under the Lane brand in recent years, sent an e-mail, overnight, that immediately terminates all employees, with the exception of over-the-road drivers currently out on delivery.

Furniture Today obtained a copy of the email sent to employees:

"At the instruction of the Board of Directors of United Furniture Industries, Inc., and all subsidiaries (the "Company"), we regret to inform you that due to unforeseen business circumstances the Company has been forced to make the difficult decision to terminate the employment of all its employees, effective immediately, on November 21, 2022, with the exception of over-the-road drivers that are out on delivery. Your layoff from the Company is expected to be permanent and all benefits will be terminated immediately without provision of COBRA.

Over-the-road drivers that are out on delivery will be paid for the balance of the week. Whether or not you have completed your delivery, please immediately return equipment, inventory, and delivery documents for those deliveries that have been completed to one of the following locations: Winston-Salem, N.C., Verona, Miss., or Victorville, Calif. location. To be clear, do not complete any additional deliveries.

This, right before Christmas. Very weird. Ominous. Do not complete any additional deliveries?? WTH??? That means even existing stock that is already en route but not there yet won't go out, I would bet that they got bought and closed.