The good news is that 289 companies that were doing business in the FDM 300 in 2009 are still in operation as 2011 opens. What about the others? In a year that saw a smaller overall sales decline and some manufacturers posting revenue gains, there were still a few that closed their doors.

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We determined that a few companies did close, some of which are included on this year’s list (this is a view of the industry in the year 2010). We also added several smaller companies that had sales around the $10 million mark. Here’s a summary of the major closings and other news affecting companies this year:

Norwalk Furniture Corp. makes a return to the FDM 300. The company had closed completely and has reorganized as a smaller furniture manufacturer, still using the main Norwalk, Ohio, factory and making upholstered chairs, love seats and furniture components. Several other plants were closed in the reorganization. The company was also the subject of a CabinetMakerFDM story. 

Caye Home Furnishings announced the closing of its New Albany, Miss., upholstery manufacturing plant in mid-2010. This was once one of the world’s largest upholstery factories. According to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, the plant employed 600 and was originally operated by the Stratford Furniture Co. Caye also had manufacturing locations in Florida and North Carolina.

Albany Industries is expanding its manufacturing with the purchase of a 260,000 square foot space in Tippah Co. in northeastern Mississippi, Terry Treadaway told CabinetMakerFDM recently. The upholstered furniture manufacturer is based in New Albany, Miss., where it employs about 500 people.

Barcalounger had closed its Rocky Mount, N.C., plant in 2009 and moved manufacturing to Martinsville, Va., where it had a shared services agreement with American of Martinsville. In April 2010 both companies closed. Recents reports indicate Barcalounger may mount a comeback as an importer. (In the 2008 FDM 300, we reported Barcalounger had annual sales of $40 million and 300 employees making chairs, sofas, love seats, recliners and rockers.)

Shermag Inc., once one of the largest Canadian furniture manufacturers, completed its reorganization and is now part of Maskinonge, Quebec-based Groupe Bermex Inc. Shermag closed its Lennoxville, and Disraeli, Quebec, plants and held auctions in December 2010. Shermag is no longer listed in the FDM 300. Bermex is a office/contract and residential furniture manufacturer and is listed in the FDM 300. As recently as 2005, Shermag employed 2,400 in 13 plants and had $158 million in annual sales.

Ello Furniture in Rockford, Ill., closed in October, according to the Rockford Register Star and rrstar.com. The company was the last of some 30 furniture manufacturers to operate in Rockford. According to rrstar.com, Ello could not overcome the difficult economy that hurt the stores that carried the company’s high-end furniture.

Eurodesign Cabinets in China, Calif., was acquired by Pomona, Calif.- based Royal Cabinets in Feb. 2010, according an announcement by Royal. The two companies served residential developers and builders, but in different geographic markets. Royal intended to manufacture its own products and the Eurodesign product line in Royal’s plants in Pomona and Tijuana, Mexico. Eurodesign is not listed this year.

Southbridge Group, based in Cambridge, Ont., is out of the cabinet business. Its subsidiary, Acorn Kitchens in Kitchener, Ont., closed within the past year. Another Southbridge cabinet holding, Concord Kitchens, had closed earlier.

Goebel Fixture Co., in Hutchinson, Minn., acquired Environments from SW Products, a subsidiary of Stylmark Inc., in March 2010, reported the Hutchinson Leader. In last year’s FDM 300, Environments had annual sales of $12 million in 2009 and employed 85 making store fixtures in Minnetonka, Minn. Goebel is also an FDM 300 company and is expanding its capabilities in the retail and restaurant markets.

Khoury Inc. closed its Kingsford, Mich., furniture factory in early 2010, and an equipment auction was held in September, ending 65 years in business, according to a report in the Mountain Daily News. Khoury made unfinished and finished furniture and casegoods, and was listed with $15 million in sales in the FDM 300 in 2009.

Patella Mfg. Inc. in suburban Montreal is believed to be closed. We were unable to contact the company and in early January its telephone number was disconnected. The former LaSalle, Quebec, maker of office furniture, architectural woodwork and commercial cabinets was listed in the FDM 300 a year ago with $40 million in sales and 350 employees.

WM Coffman closed its Marion, Va., plant and held an auction in mid-2010. According to a report on swvatoday.com and the Wytheville (Va.) Enterprise, WM Coffman headquarters and a warehouse and distribution center for the company’s wood and forged iron stair parts will remain in Marion. Coffman Stairs was acquired by P&F Industries and was combined with the stair operation of Woodmark International and Stair House to form WM Coffman LLC. In 2008, the millwork and stair component manufacturer reported annual sale of $40 million and employed 233 in three plants in Marion.

Array, a store fixture manufacturer in Chattanooga, Tenn., was purchased by Marketing Alliance Group in Dalton, Ga., in 2009. This division is now known as American Display & Fixture, and is listed under this name.

We reported earlier that Mielach Woodwork had closed its architectural millwork operation in Edison, N.J., and equipment was sold at auction. Mielach reported FDM 300 annual sales of $15 million in 2008 with 135 employees.

We also reported that Owens Inc. shut down both Shawano, Wis., plants in late 2009. Owens is not listed this year. In the 2008 FDM 300, the company employed 270 in its two Shawano plants and recorded annual sales of $25 million making doors and engineered hardwood flooring.