A furniture manufacturing plant in Cornwall, Ont. is set to close after 55 years in business. Dorel Industries announced late last month it will eliminate its domestic manufacturing operations at Ridgewood Industries based in Cornwall. The company announced the closure as part of a “strategic shift in its operations with a significant reduction in the size of its Home segment.” Mayor Justin Towndale says the closure, set for September 19, will affect approximately 300 people. “The announcement that Ridgewood industries is closing after 55 years is terrible news for our community, and is not the type of news that anyone wants to hear,” Towndale said in a statement. “These community members are at the forefront of my thoughts, as they face uncertainty amidst the loss of their employment.” Towndale says the co-founder of Ridgewood, Alan Schwartz, “cited outside economic factors as the decision to close the facility.” “These include current challenges with the U.S. market and competition from overseas outsourcing.” Ridgewood Industries opened in 1969. The Cornwall and Area Chamber of Commerce says Ridgewood has been a “cornerstone of Cornwall’s manufacturing sector and a proud employer” in the community. “The loss of a long-standing business like Ridgewood is felt deeply across Cornwall, both economically and emotionally,” the chamber of commerce said in a statement on Friday. “The chamber remains committed to working with stakeholders to ensure our local workforce is supported and to help foster future opportunities for sustainable growth and employment in our region.”
