ROBBINSVILLE, NC - Stanley Furniture employees who lost their jobs when the company closed its Young America plant are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance, according to Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC).

In addition, workers 50 or older among the more than 300 employees impacted by the closing of Stanley Furniture's plant in Robbinsville announced on April 1 also will be eligible for Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) for older workers, Hagan said.

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A year after closing its casegoods plant in Stanleytown, VA; Stanley Furniture made headlines when it announced in 2011 that it would discontinue off-shoring its Young American line of juvenile and youth furniture in favor of having it made in Robbinsville. Stanley Furniture's reshoring efforts were aided by a $1 million grant from North Carolina's Gold Leaf Foundation. The company reported investing $3.8 million in 2012 on capital equipment to retool plant. Stanley Furniture's reshoring efforts earned it the 2013 Technology of the Year Award from the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA).

Ultimately the Stanley Furniture was unable to effectively compete against lower-priced imported youth furniture, according to Hagan, who noted that Graham County where Robbinsville is located has the highest unemployment rate in North Carolina. She held out hope that Stanley Furniture would find a buyer for the Robbinsville plant to re-start operations.

Last month, Hagan sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor urging that laid-off Stanley Furniture workers be eligible for TAA benefits, which provide income support, training, job search and relocation aid to workers who lose their jobs for trade-related reasons.

"It is my hope that these highly-skilled and hard-working employees will be able to continue working in this facility under a new owner, but in the meantime, it is critical that they be able to access the job training, skills development, and support they need to continue providing for their families," Hagan said. "My office stands ready to help workers apply for this assistance."