Cookeville furniture plant ends operations

A furniture maker has suspended operations at plants in Norwalk, Ohio, and Cookeville, Tenn., effective Monday. Norwalk Furniture's northern Ohio plant has a work force of more than 500 and is one of Norwalk's biggest employers. Late last year Norwalk Furniture said its 50-employee Cookeville manufacturing and saw mill operations would be moved to locations northeast of Cookeville. The company, in a statement late Friday night, blamed the suspension of operations at the plants on a slowing economy and changes in the furniture industry. Its sales dropped $8 million from 2006 to 2007. The company said its personnel offices would be open Monday to handle questions from affected employees. Read reactions to this story - in... [read full story]