Flanders Industries Announces Closing

Flanders Industries was the second Fort Smith manufacturer in June to announce a plant closing.

Flanders Industries, which sews cushions for high-end wicker furniture, plans to close its Fort Smith plant starting in August, said Dudley Flanders, president and CEO of the company.

The plant will move its cushion sewing operations to Lloyd/Flanders Inc. in Menominee, Mich.

Flanders said the company will keep two to four people out of the 44 — including himself — that are employed to work in an office in Fort Smith.

He said there are currently no plans for the 160,000-SF facility after operations have been phased into the Michigan plant.

Last year, Flanders said the company discontinued manufacturing aluminum and steel outdoor lines of furniture.

The closing of the Fort Smith plant is due to streamlining production, allowing customers to order products from one location.

“It’s been a real problem to separate where the products came from,” he said. “It’s been a logistical problem, and its increased freight charges.”

The Flanders family purchased Williams Manufacturing in 1970, which made folding steel chairs and “stamp-steel” outdoor furniture.

In 1982, Flanders purchased the assets of Lloyds of Menominee, Mich., and started producing high-end wicker furniture.

But over the years, the 500,000-SF Michigan plant has outgrown the Fort Smith plant, which does most of the manufacturing, Flanders said.