Another major furniture manufacturer closing

Aug. 29—TRIAD — A western North Carolina-based furniture manufacturer announced this past weekend that it will cease operations, becoming the third major home furnishings producer with state ties to go under in less than a year — and the second in less than one month.

The ownership of the high-end furniture company Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams informed its 533 North Carolina employees of the closure on Saturday. In the message sent by email, the Taylorsville-based employer said that it "has recently and unexpectedly learned that we are unable to secure critical financing to continue business operations."

That echoes the reason given by Asheboro-based Klaussner Furniture Industries Inc. when it closed without warning Aug. 7 after 60 years in business. Klaussner ownership said the company's lender unexpectedly ceased providing capital to keep operating.

Klaussner's shutdown left more than 800 workers immediately without paychecks in the Piedmont Triad, primarily in Randolph County.

By contrast, most of Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams's employees now have advance notice that their jobs are going away. The company said the majority of workers are expected to have their last day of employment on Oct. 25. The time frame fits with the required 60-day notification for the loss of a job due to a mass layoff under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, Act.

"We regret that this difficult and unexpected situation has made this necessary," company leaders said in their message to employees. "We also thank you for your service and dedication to the company and we wish you and your family the best during this transition."

Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams has had operations in Taylorsville and Hiddenite in Alexander County and Statesville in Iredell County, according to its WARN Act notice filed with the state Department of Commerce.

The company used to have a showroom presence at the High Point Market, but it has not for the past three years after operating a Market showroom since 1989.

The loss of Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams and Klaussner follows the sudden shutdown of Mississippi-based United Furniture Industries this past November. United's employees included 700 workers at production facilities in the Archdale area. The company had financial struggles earlier in 2022, which included layoffs last summer.

United ownership cited "unforeseen business circumstances" as prompting the closure.

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