TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. - Upholstered furniture manufacturer Craftmaster Furniture announced it will resume production on May 4. The company's four manufacturing operations have been shut down since March 30 due to the coronavirus epidemic.

“We are following the return-to-work protocols laid out by the Governor of North Carolina along with the CDC guidelines as we ramp up our four manufacturing facilities,” said Roy Calcagne, president/CEO. "It is our plan to reopen and comply with state and local guidelines and to keep our work environments, our employees and our customers safe.

"All employees will be required to wear face masks, all facilities will adhere to strict social distancing rules, the use of hand sanitizers and frequent washing of the hands will be required, and we will be cleaning all facilities several times each day,” he added.

Calcagne noted Alexander County has seen only a small number of COVID-19 cases. "The fact that we closed all operations down four weeks ago as most companies did, has helped contain the spread of virus in our area," he said.

“We are excited to get back to work and building furniture again as well as serving our great retail partners that will be returning to work over the next few weeks. This has been a difficult time for all, and we look forward to our country and our community getting started on the rebuilding process.”

The company has more than 700 employees and more than 650,000 square feet of manufacturing according to its website. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Taylorsville, North Carolina, Craftmaster specializes in the manufacture of moderately priced stationary and motion residential furniture, including sofas, recliners and chairs. Craftmaster also produces the Paula Deen Home Collection under a licensing agreement with the celebrity chef.

Craftmaster is a subsidiary of Samson Holdings along with Universal Furniture and Legacy Classic Furniture.