AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT SAUDER WOODWORKING

Archbold, Ohio-based Sauder Woodworking, a producer of ready-to-assemble furniture, has initiated a reduction in force to counter the effects of a significant drop in sales.

The reduction will impact 150 employees.

EVP Dan Sauder noted, "We've had to make some adjustments to our employment levels to react to the sales drop. So we have reduced a couple shifts and we've had to reduce our staffing. Although the fallout has been swift here at Sauder Woodworking, OhioMeansJobs of Fulton County partnered with Sauder Woodworking to assist with the transition of the layoffs."

Progressive Furniture, a Claremont, North Carolina–based subsidiary of Sauder Woodworking, will cease all operations by the end of 2025, resulting in the layoff of about 30 employees. The decision stems from the loss of its primary supplier in Mexico, which provided roughly 60% of its product line, compounded by ongoing supply chain disruptions, challenging business conditions, rising tariffs, and weak consumer demand.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, 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, at any time, 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 now wondering, Am I Next?