Roof collapse contributes to cabinet shop shutdown, 60 workers lose jobs
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WOOD LAKE, Mn. - A custom cabinet and wood product manufacturer has unexpectedly closed in Minnesota, leaving up to 60 employees out of a job.
 
Archon Woodworks, one of the largest businesses in the 439-resident town of Wood Lake, Minnesota, abruptly ceased all production at its shop and didn't respond to calls from local media.
 
“It’s really sad,” Archon former sales representative Kathy Knapper told the Marshall Independent. “We had between 50 and 60 employees most of the time. One lady has worked there for 30 years, and there were some others who were getting close to retirement, at least within five years or so. Now, there’s nothing left in town but an elevator, a gas station, and a bar.”
 
Archon appeared to be doing well up until recently. It formed in 1983 as Hoffco Inc. with just three employees. In 2005, it acquired Valley Oak Custom Doors, which operates in both Minnesota and Omaha, Nebraska.
 
Then, the roof at the company's Indiana facility reportedly caved in from heavy snowfall in mid-February, halting production. That also led to a gas leak, which forced a shutdown in mid-March.
 
“I’ve been without a paycheck for a month,” Knapper told the Marshall Independent.
 
Archon's five brands offered cabinet accessories, wood hoods and ventilation, solid wood countertops, cabinet doors, and metallic coatings.

 

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Robert Dalheim

Robert Dalheim is an editor at the Woodworking Network. Along with publishing online news articles, he writes feature stories for the FDMC print publication. He can be reached at [email protected].