Flexsteel Plant Closing in Starkville - 4/29/20

Furniture maker Flexsteel is closing for good in starkville.

Up vo wipe to pkg furniture maker flexsteel is closing for good in starkville.

Company executives announcing today they are shuttering the starkville plant, along with their newest facility in dubuque, iowa in september in a call to investors, the iowa-based flexsteel reports a financial loss of more than $5 million dollars since january.

That's partially due to a drop in demand.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the industrial road plant employed around 170 people.

Right now 45 workers are handling the backlog of orders.

Those workers are going to be looking for new jobs soon, in a very uncertain market.

Our quentin smith catches up with some of them to get their reaction..

When workers at flexsteel in starkville received a phone call from the hr department, they thought it was a call telling them they could come back to work.

Instead, they were notified that the company is shutting down, leaving many of people without a job and not knowing what to do next..

Nat as tasha beckum reads a disheartening letter.

Nat she can't fathom being told she's losing her job.

" i hate to say i was depending on it, but that was my source of income.

I was waiting to go back to work.

I don't have a second job, that was my main job."

The company closed temporarily in late march, but beckom says never thought things would become permanent.

" this is something we've never experienced before, this is different, and to have family and friends that have actually died from the virus, and now not having a job, it's a lot all at one time."

" it hurt.

I don't know how i'm going to take care of my family after this unemployment stops.

It's hard, it's real hard."

For charlie douglas, he's yet to receive a phone call about the closing.... he heard of the news through a co- worker.

He's not only disappointed to lose his job, but also the way flexsteel is handling the entire situation... " i still have vacation hours i want to know what i need to do to get those, i've got a 401 , i need to know.

I need a call."

Douglas has worked at flexsteel for more than a decade, and says his worst fear is not being able to find another job due to the global pandemic.

"i made bills for myself because i thought we were going to be a company that was going to last.

I thought flexsteel, was going to be here when my son turned turn 44, but this was a surprise."

Both beckum and douglas say they don't know what's next.... but they are going to lean on their faith to get them through these uncertain times.

"i've got to travel now to make that kind of money, that's the hardest part of all of this, having to travel."

" i'm going to take this time to go back to school.

I know a lot of people are not hiring right now, so i'm not sure about work, and i don't qualify for regular unemployment so.

I'm just making do with what i have."

The company says it knows this is devastating news, that's why they're going to be in contact to help workers receive financial benefits through the cares act to help get them through this tough time.

Reporting in starkville, quentin smith.

Wcbi news.