Chromcraft shutting Delphi plant, putting 150 out of work

Jennifer Whitson, The IBJ

jwhitson@ibj.com

West Lafayette-based Chromcraft Revington Inc. announced today that it will stop manufacturing at its Delphi facility by May 30, putting 150 employees out of work.

The announcement is the latest closing for the furniture maker, which shut down plants in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee in the last 18 months. The company will replace the Delphi operation by buying products from Asian suppliers.

"The decision to progressively shift the balance of the products to global suppliers ... enhances our competitiveness as well as our gross margin," CEO Ben Anderson-Ray said in a statement.

The company said it likely would convert the Delphi plant, located about 75 miles northwest of Indianapolis, to a warehouse and distribution center. After the restructuring is complete, it will employ a total of about 550 nationwide.

Chromcraft Revington made the cuts as it struggles with financial losses. It posted $8.3 million in red ink in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, compared to a loss of $741,000 in the same period last year.