PONTOTOC, Miss. - Mississippi-based furniture makers Behold Washington, Southern Motion, Fusion Furniture, and Franklin Corp. will temporarily shut down all production - putting thousands of employees out of work. The coronavirus outbreak is to blame.
Southern Motion, who owns Fusion Furniture, will remain closed for at least this week. The decision was made after an employee was tested to have the virus.
“We have been taking every necessary precaution and following every protocol, including daily sanitizing and disinfecting that is being performed several times a day throughout all key areas of the building,” Southern Motion posted on Facebook.
“In order to properly assess the situation and to protect the health and safety of all of our associates, we made the decision to shut down operations on Monday, March 23 at all Southern Furniture Industries’ locations (Southern Motion, Fusion Furniture, Cushions to Go, Recline Design, and Premier Foam),” the company said.
Southern Motion employs more than 2,000.
On Sunday, Behold Washington CEO Lyle Harris said the company would stop production at least through Friday. The company employs around 300.
Several of the company's employees have shown symptoms similar to that of COVID-19. They have been tested are awaiting results.
And another, Franklin Corp., ceased production after an employee tested positive. Franklin employs around 900.
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