American Woodmark to close Virginia plant, report says

An American Woodmark employee at the Orange County facility. According to reports, the company is closing the 50-year-old plant and laying off 131 workers.

Photo By American Woodmark

American Woodmark plans to close a long-time plant in Orange, Virginia, according to a local report. 

The Jan. 12 Substack story, reported that the Town of Orange received official word of the closure a week earlier. The story, quoting Orange Town Council member Jeremiah Pent, said that the cabinetry manufacturer will lay off 131 employees at its Orange facility on March 24. 

It wasn't long ago that the company was lauding the facility. In 2023, the company celebrated the plant's 50th anniversary. "For half a century, American Woodmark's Orange, VA, manufacturing facility has been a cornerstone of our company's success," the company wrote on its website. "From humble beginnings in 1973 to becoming one of the largest cabinet manufacturers in the United States, our Orange facility has played a critical role in delivering high-quality, affordable cabinets to customers across the country."

The closure might be a reflection of company earning's releases. American Woodmark, which ranks #12 on the FDMC 300 listing of top wood products manufacturers in North America, reported in November 2024 that net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 decreased $21.4 million to $452.5 million compared with the same quarter last fiscal year, and net income was $27.7 million compared with $30.3 million last fiscal year.

The decrease was attributed to lower net sales in remodeling and new home sectors and increasing supply chain costs among other factors.

Woodworking Network has reached out to company vice president and treasurer Kevin Dunnigan by LinkedIn, who is listed as the contact on earnings release reports, and to Councilmember Pent by email for comment.

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Larry Adams | Editor

Larry Adams is a Chicago-based writer and editor who writes about how things get done. A former wire service and community newspaper reporter, Larry is an award-winning writer with more than three decades of experience. In addition to writing about woodworking, he has covered science, metrology, metalworking, industrial design, quality control, imaging, Swiss and micromanufacturing . He was previously a Tabbie Award winner for his coverage of nano-based coatings technology for the automotive industry. Larry volunteers for the historic preservation group, the Kalo Foundation/Ianelli Studios, and the science-based group, Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST).