Stanley Furniture Ends U.S. Manufacturing at Robbinsville Plant
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Stanley Furniture Ends U.S. Manufacturing at Robbinsville PlantHIGH POINT, NC - Stanley Furniture Company, Inc. (Nasdaq-NGS:STLY) says it will end domestic furniture production in the Robbinsville, NC factory that produces its Young America brand of nursery and youth furniture. Trading was halted on Stanley's stock on the news, and fourth quarter results were postponed until April 30. Some 400 employees are affected.

“We have decided to cease manufacturing operations in Robbinsville,” said CEO Glenn Prillaman in the announcement made through Business Wire. “The Young America business could not achieve an acceptable level of revenue within an adequate time frame to assure sustainable profitability." 

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Stanley Young America Line production
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Stanley Furniture had funded a production transformation of the plant, using proceeds from dumping penalties levied against importers of Chinese furniture sold into the U.S. market at below production costs, under the Continued Dumping Subsidy Offset Act.

"The company could have chosen to liquidate and give the proceeds to shareholders," Prillaman said in the annual report for 2013. "Instead we chose to make large strategic changes to restore the company relevancy in the marketplace." Changes included new product lines, plant and office closings new machinery and equipment, an office and showroom consolidation new staffing new showrooms and new operating systems." After a multi-year transformation, Stanley Furniture emerged approximately one-third its previous size. Last year Stanley Furniture was awarded a Wooden Globe for Technology for its manufacturing transformation. WMIA Wooden Globe Award

“What is important now is that we exit our domestic operation in a way that minimizes the impact on our retail customers, and that we do all we can to help our approximately 400 associates in Robbinsville with this difficult change for them and their families," Prillaman said. Orders for Young America products placed on or before April 28, 2014 will be honored, Prillaman said, noting Stanley has retained services to maximize value from assets related to the Young America brand.

Prillaman said that Stanley brand furniture orders were up double digits in the first quarter, even with the weather-related challenges that hit retailers across the country. “We have a healthy Stanley business that is making money," Prillaman said. "We are looking forward to the prospects of focusing our team solely on the growth and profitability of this brand in the short-term.”

In its most recent fourth quarter 2013 earnings report, Stanley Furniture lost $3.9 million on net sales of $22.7 million, down from $23.4M in the fourth quarter of 2012. Stanley reported  $5.1 million capital expenditures during the year, for office and showroom consolidation, the implementation of its new operating systems and capital spending in the Robbinsville plant. For the year, Stanley lost $12.6 million on $97 million in revenue. In 2012 it turned a profit of $30.3 million on $98.6 million in revenue.

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