Furniture manufacturer closing Conway plant

Sixteen workers losing jobs if a buyer isn't found by Dec. 20

Enfield Industries Inc., which is part of the family of companies that also includes Yield House and Renovator's Supply, is closing its Conway manufacturing plant Dec. 20.Discussions are under way with parties interested in purchasing and continuing the operation. However, if those talks do not result in a sale, 16 production workers will lose their jobs.Enfield Industries produces high-end wooden furniture and furniture components from its Hobbs Street facilities. Some of the furniture is produced for Yield House and sold at the Yield House stores in North Conway and Millers Falls, Mass., and through the Renovator's Supply catalog.Enfield Industries formerly operated under the Yield House name before the company was purchased by Claude Jeanloz in 1991.The Yield House/Renovator's Supply retail store will remain open for the time being, and a staff of about six will remain in place at the Hobbs Street office to handle catalog services and various administrative functions. Yield House is also renting space to N.H. Health and Human Services.Company officials said in a press release the closing of the Enfield manufacturing plant is "due to a continued downturn in sales," and they cited three factors."Foremost has been the radical decline in product demand, due to a growing consumer trend away from more expensive solid-wood furniture," the press release stated. "This, in conjunction with offshore competition and the overall decline of the national economy has had a serious impact on sales."Workers received word of the closing on Monday."They have an average of 20 years of tenure," Jason Cousens, vice president/plant manager, said Wednesday. "They're good, hard-working people who understand reliability and commitment. But they can see it coming. They can see that there isn't enough work. They're taking it as well as can be expected."Cousens said a Rapid Response field coordinator, along with representatives from various other state agencies, will be at the plant on Dec. 18 to talk about reeducation and retraining possibilities, as well as unemployment benefits.One of the factors that led to the demise of Enfield was overseas competition. In one particular case, Cousens said, a large brokerage account abandoned Enfield in favor of a Brazilian plantation that was able to produce items at about half the cost."We're going to be looking at the Trade Adjustment Act," Cousens said. "If some of the closure is impacted by imports, there might be an opportunity for extended benefits or reeducational training."In short, Cousens said, "We're just trying to give them (workers) the best chance we can to get retrained, while still hoping that somebody buys the business."Jeanloz said serious discussions are under way with two companies that have expressed an interest in buying the building and the business. He is hopeful that a deal will be struck prior to the scheduled Dec. 20 closing of the plant."Something is in the works," Jeanloz said. "I would love to see it happen, but nobody has signed on the dotted line yet."Jeanloz believes that, despite the various factors that led to the decision to close the plant, the manufacturing operation could still be successful."If I lived up there or could be up there every every day, I could make that work," Jeanloz said, "but I can't do that and Renovator's and all the other things I do at the same time, which is why I'm trying to sell. I believe the right person can run this profitably."Jeanloz said he regretted having to close the plant just before Christmas, but he couldn't delay any longer."I've been putting it off and putting it off," he said. "I've put it off probably two months longer than I should have. It's too big a black hole for us, not only financial but the whole emotional aspect and trying to cope with all our other business. I just can't spend enough time up there."