Berkline consolidates in Tennessee
By Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, March 31, 2008
Morristown, Tenn. — In a major cost-cutting move, Berkline/BenchCraft will disband upholstery operations at its Blue Mountain, Miss., plant and consolidate all production into its main facility here.
Some 400 jobs will be eliminated at the Blue Mountain plant effective May 24, and the Morristown plan will gain 200 workers over the next few months.
While tasks such as upholstery making, cushion filling, frame building, wood cutting, and shipping and receiving will shift to Tennessee, about 135 workers involved in sewing will be retained in Mississippi. Dennis Carper, senior vice president of human resources, said the company doubted it could find enough experienced sewers to move that operation to Morristown.
Some of the workers laid off in Blue Mountain have been
