United Furniture Industries terminates entire workforce, including those in Victorville

Two days before Thanksgiving, United Furniture Industries executives terminated “all its employees,” including those working at the plant at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville.

Employees received a message by text or email from the company, instructing them not to report to work on Tuesday because their jobs were being immediately terminated “due to unforeseen business circumstances.”

“At the instruction of the board of directors of United Furniture Industries Inc. and all subsidiaries, 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 Nov. 21, 2022,” the message said.

A second email told employees that “your layoff from the company is expected to be permanent and all benefits will be terminated immediately without provision of COBRA.”

The company closed out its message by citing the “difficult and unexpected situation” that economic experts say likely includes high gas prices, inflation and the war in Ukraine as key factors.

It’s unclear how many UFI employees were affected by the furniture manufacturer’s decision to terminate its remaining workforce.

Truckers

Over-the-road truck drivers for its furniture delivery division UFI Transportation, who are currently making deliveries, “will be paid for the balance of the week,” the company stated.

The UFI statement directs truckers with loads to “immediately return equipment, inventory and delivery documents for those deliveries that have been completed to one of the following locations: Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Verona, Mississippi; or Victorville, California.”

Headquartered in Okolona, Mississippi, UFI makes promotional to mid-priced upholstered furniture in the U.S. under its brand and the Lane Home Furnishings brand, which it acquired in November 2017 from Heritage Home Group. The manufacturer also imports wooden bedroom and dining furniture.

A UFI truck driver was arrested in Monroe County, Mississippi on suspicion of taking furniture off of a truck after getting notice of the mass layoff.

Audrey Garth, 37 of Wren was arrested by MCSO deputies and was charged for suspected grand larceny, according to Tippah News.

Victorville location

In 2020, Stirling Capital Investment announced the renewal of a lease for a 505,000-square-foot facility with UFI.

UFI began its furniture manufacturing operations at the facility in 2011 and renewed its lease, effective Nov. 2020, for an additional three years, according to Stirling’s statement.

In 2020, UFI employed more than 300 full-time workers at the facility, which serves as the company’s West Coast base of operations.

To help meet the growing demand for its upholstered furnishings and other products, in 2019 UFI announced the expected hiring of some 500 employees.

United Furniture’s move added employees to its plant located at SCLA, and those based in North Carolina and Mississippi.

During that time, the furniture company said it was hiring upholsterers, springers and frame builders, among other positions. Highly experienced individuals can make $25 per hour or more. The company offers a complete benefits package including major medical, dental, vision and 401K.

“Our company is pleased to be expanding our U.S. workforce in response to the sustained and growing demand for our products, including our newly acquired Lane branded products,” said UFI President Larry George in a 2019 company press release. “Our expansion benefits our customers, our industry partners, our existing employees, and the communities we call home.”

Prior terminations, closures

Furniture Today reported that in June, UFI terminated its chief executive, chief financial officer and executive vice president of sales. It named former Standard Furniture president Todd Evans as chief executive.

In July, theUFI closed its plants in Winston-Salem and High Point, North Carolina, resulting in more than 270 workers losing their jobs.

Another 220 jobs were eliminated in late July at the company’s plant in Amory, Mississippi.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: United Furniture Industries fires entire workforce, Victorville affected