Beachwood, Ohio-based MasterBrand Cabinets, North America's largest residential cabinet manufacturer, operating more than 20 manufacturing facilities and offices, has announced a post-merger reduction in force after acquiring Winchester, Virginia-based American Woodmark earlier this year and ending Value-Semi Custom operations in Kinston, North Carolina.
The reduction will impact 391 manufacturing plant employees in Kinston by November 27, 2026.
According to a company spokesperson, "As part of its merger with American Woodmark, MasterBrand is conducting a comprehensive manufacturing network assessment that is integral to its integration strategy and identifying its targeted synergies. As a result of that ongoing assessment, MasterBrand announced that it will focus its Kinston, North Carolina, operations exclusively on frameless cabinetry and components manufacturing. The focused operation will build on Kinston’s capabilities and the recent transition of Ultracraft cabinetry production to the site. Ultracraft frameless cabinetry and components manufacturing will continue in Kinston. Production and assembly of non-frameless products will transition to MasterBrand facilities in Goshen, Indiana; Arthur, Illinois; and Grants Pass, Oregon, where the company has available capacity and capabilities. The manufacturing network assessment is an important part of the company’s integration strategy and supports its target of achieving over $100 million in run-rate cost synergies by the end of year three post-close."
Change is constant, and it's coming. Tomorrow will always come, no matter how much you try to ignore it. Life offers no guarantees, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you wondering, "Am I Next?"