Hooker to Close Virginia Plant

June 7, 2006  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Bedroom on June 2006 Hooker Furniture Corp. announced plans yesterday to close its 265,000-square-foot home office and home entertainment plant in Roanoke, Va., by the end of August. About 275 employees will lose jobs.

Hooker will continue to support and service all the products currently made in Roanoke by consolidating that production in its last wood plant, a 760,000-square-foot warehouse and factory next to the company’s corporate headquarters in Martinsville, Va.

The Roanoke shutdown is a result of decreased order and shipment rates for Hooker’s domestic line.

“The Martinsville plant is capable of producing our entire domestic line,” said Douglas Williams, president and chief operating officer. “It can build multiple products and apply multiple finishes at the same time.”

After the Roanoke closure, Hooker will have 2.6 million square feet of plant and distribution space in Virginia and North Carolina, including the Martinsville wood plant, two upholstery plants, two supply plants, a distribution center and several warehouses.

The move should bring the Martinsville wood plant to near full capacity, with new solid wood bedroom and home theater furniture geared toward the latest consumer electronics.

“We expect to continue expanding into these types of domestic products,” said Paul Toms Jr., chairman and chief executive officer. “We do not intend to exit domestic wood furniture manufacturing.”