Suburban Charlotte manufacturer closing, will lay off over 110 people by August
A bedding manufacturer will be closing its manufacturing facility in Union County and laying off over 110 people.
Downlite International, which produces down, feather and synthetic bedding products, will close its facility at 201 Cuthbertson St. in Monroe by Aug. 14, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) report filed with the state on June 1. Such notices are required by federal law during mass layoffs.
With the facility’s closure, 113 people will be laid off. The site is east of downtown Monroe off U.S. 74 near the Tyson Foods chicken processing plant.
In March, several divisions of Downlite were purchased by Live Comfortably, one of the largest utility bedding manufacturers in the U.S.
Financial details of the sale weren’t announced. But Live Comfortably planned to take over Downlite’s site in Monroe and its headquarters in Mason, Ohio, according to Home Textiles Today, a trade publication.
Downlite noted that the Monroe closure was due to the sale, according to the WARN report. It’s unclear if current workers would be offered jobs by Live Comfortably.
The Ohio sites experienced the first round of layoffs.
Downlite announced through an April WARN report that it was closing two Ohio warehouses by July 2. In the Ohio closings, 164 employees would be laid off beginning in mid-June. In total, 277 were laid off.
Downlite did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.
About Downlite
Downlite was founded as a family-owned business in 1982. It produces bedding products including comforters, mattress pads and pillows.
The manufacturer has worked with such notable brands including the home divisions of Eddie Bower, Nautica and Ralph Lauren.
Live Comfortably acquired Downlite’s home and hospitality divisions.
Downlite is expected to retain its feather and down processing business, which includes facilities in Ohio and Canada, according to trade outlets.
