Armstrong to Close Wood Plant in Arkansas

Searcy, AR, December 9--Armstrong Holdings, Inc. announced Wednesday it will close its plant here, effective Feb. 25, according to the Searcy Daily Citizen. The hardwood flooring plant employees 230, making it one of the area's largest employers. The local business community was caught off guard by the announcement, Searcy Chamber of Commerce head Buck Layne said. "We didn't know about it," said Layne. "They have made tremendous investments over the years in their plant here. And the city of Searcy has made significant investments in them. The city brought water to the plant, annexed the land into city, and also the Arkansas Department of Economic Development provided a road improvement grant for Whitney Lane Road where the plant is." Layne said there was a change in plant management over the summer, but it wasn't that unusual. "The worse thing is for the employees, of course," he said. "It is a blow to the community and to the state of Arkansas, but for the employees this announcement comes at an unfortunate time, being that it is the holidays and given such a short notice." For the employees there is a worker relocation task force at the state level that will be able to help those who will soon be without a job, Layne said. It comes through the employment security division. Exactly what the state can and will do for those who will lose their jobs will depend on what kind of severance package is offered to the employees, he said. The company will continue to manufacture solid wood flooring at its plants in Warren, Ark., Beverly, W.Va., Jackson, Nashville and Oneida, Tenn., and West Plains, Mo., according to an official press release from Armstrong headquarters in Lancaster, Pa. The work currently being done in Searcy will be moved to the Warren and Jackson plants. "Eliminating jobs disrupts the lives of good employees and their families," Brian Carson, Armstrong Floor Products senior vice president of operations and manufacturing said. "We will provide severance and outplacement to help reduce the impact on these employees."