DANBURY, Conn. — An Ethan Allen distribution center located in Old Fort, North Carolina, was recently impacted by the significant flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. The distribution center, which primarily focuses on shipping custom-made home furnishings to select wholesale customers, has not yet resumed daily shipping operations due to limited road accessibility for tractor-trailers.

Recovery efforts have already begun, including restoration of electricity and internet connectivity. The company, an FDMC 300 firm, operates major upholstery operations in central North Carolina, but they were not significantly disrupted by Hurricane Helene and are currently operating at normal capacity.

“Ethan Allen has a long history of operating in North Carolina, including one of our regional distribution centers in the state’s Blue Ridge Mountains. We are very involved in these communities,” said Farooq Kathwari, chairman, president and CEO of Ethan Allen. “The destruction caused by Hurricane Helene has affected so many, and we would like to express our heartfelt concern for everyone impacted during this difficult time. We have begun the recovery process and want to express our commitment to supporting our neighbors in western North Carolina.”

The company said that Ethan Allen is managing the evolving situation at its Old Fort distribution center. Ethan Allen’s vertically integrated structure and manufacturing base in North America, where 75% of its products are made, offers the company the ability to reroute operations and minimize service disruptions.

“We are proactively working through our logistics network to reroute shipments, so we can continue to serve our clients while our Old Fort distribution center restores operations,” said Kathwari. “We’re committed to standing by our resilient associates and supporting the region’s recovery through several philanthropic efforts.”

What it is telling its customers

Ethan Allen posted a note to it customers updating them n the hurricane's effects.

Hurricane Helene—How We're Responding

Will my delivery date be extended due to the effects of Hurricane Helene?

The widespread destruction from Hurricane Helene is affecting us in several ways. We have wholesale distribution operations in western North Carolina, and while we’re happy to report that all our associates are safe and accounted for, we have encountered disruptions due to significant flooding in the region. Several of our major suppliers in the southeastern U.S. were also affected by this event.

How long will my delivery take?

At this moment, we’re working hard to address the factors we can control. We’re looking at ways to reroute our distribution network, and we’re partnering with state and local governments as well as water and energy providers to get our distribution center back up and running. We’re also providing support for our associates.

One thing Ethan Allen will never do is compromise on quality. We manufacture about 75% of our products in North America, and most of our products are not pulled from a warehouse shelf; they’re made to order when they’re ordered—that’s something we’re very proud of.

Ethan Allen is known for high standards and high quality. Building trusted, long-term partnerships with suppliers that we have confidence in helps us maintain those standards—but their delays unfortunately affect us, too. We’re doing everything we can to stand by our business partners through these difficult events, and your support means everything to us.

This is an evolving situation, and we understand that production and delivery delays are frustrating. We’re working to minimize interruptions and to deliver the best service we can while also upholding our commitment to delivering an exceptional product.