Local Officials Work to Help Ashley Furniture Manufacturing Employees

COLTON>> Some local officials are working together to help Ashley Furniture manufacturing employees find new employment after the company announced it will eliminate jobs for 840 employees in the Colton facility by the end of October. In a statement from Ashley Furniture, the company said shifting the majority of Colton production to other facilities in the United States, such as North Carolina, Mississippi and Wisconsin, will create more efficiency and better use of existing capacity in the companies manufacturing network. "We thank our employees for all their hard work, but closing these plants on Oct. 25 and rebalancing our manufacturing mix strengthens production capability and cost structure and will help ensure Ashley’s continued ability to compete effectively long-term in the global marketplace from a U.S. base,” the company said in a statement. In an effort to help Ashley Furniture workers secure employment, Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino) has partnered with the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department and the City of Colton to co-host a free job fair Sept. 8, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino. “The goal of this event is to help Ashley Furniture workers transition to new jobs as quickly as possible,” Brown said in a statement. “In addition to providing free job search workshops, we’ll have several employers on hand to share their employment opportunities. I encourage all former Ashley Furniture workers to attend this important event.” According to San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board Chairman Tony Myrell, the WDD has been actively working with the employees to find new work. “We've been working diligently with former employees of Ashley Furniture to help minimize the impact of this unexpected job loss,” he said. “This week we've held meetings to make them aware of our available resources and to determine next steps.” Companies attending the job fair include: Chino Valley Ranchers, the San Bernardino Boys & Girls Club, Lineage Logistics, State Logistics, Volt Workforce Solutions, JM Staffing, Associates Direct Services, ADS LLC and more. “I’m really proud to be a part of this effort and look forward to helping former Ashley Furniture workers get back on their feet quickly,” said Mayor Richard DeLaRosa, City of Colton in a statement. “I am grateful that state and local leaders are coming together with employment resources that will help the displaced workers.” According to a statement, Ashley Furniture Senior Vice President Kurt Haines said they have been working closely with the event partners to support the upcoming job fair and will be in attendance.