Linden Lumber LLC (Linden, Ala.) closed its hardwood flooring division May 17.
Linden Lumber LLC (Linden, Ala.) closed its hardwood flooring division May 17.
The decision will reduce the staff by 37 employees. “This has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, but we believe it is the right decision given the ongoing depressed state of the solid flooring industry,” said Hugh Overmyer, Linden Lumber president, in a statement. “Any time business decisions such as this negatively impact employees, it is very emotionally difficult for everyone.”
Linden cited larger trends in the solid wood flooring market to explain the closure. Solid wood flooring mills in general have struggled with price swings in the last few years, while engineered flooring mills continue to grow, the company said.
The company will continue its lumber and industrial wood product manufacturing operations, in which, it said, it has invested heavily in recent years.
“This will simplify our business model and will help us be more focused on growing our hardwood lumber sales both domestically and worldwide,” said Jamey Hurst, director of sales and marketing.