On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, all employees of United Furniture Industries, including many in Mississippi, have been told that they are now unemployed.

The board of directors for the company sent a memo to all employees telling them not to report to work and that their positions have been permanently ended.

Operating under the Lane Furniture name, United Furniture Industries operates plants in the Tupelo region.

“Due to unforeseen business circumstances, the company has been forced to make the difficult decision to terminate the employment of all its employees effective immediately on Nov. 21, 2022, with the exception of over-the-road drivers that are out on delivery. Your layoff from the company is expected to be permanent and all benefits will be terminated immediately without the provision of COBRA.”

Over-the-road drivers that are out on delivery will be paid for the balance of the week, the memo said.

“Whether or not you have completed your delivery, please immediately return equipment, inventory, and delivery documents for those deliveries that have been completed to one of the following locations: Winston-Salem, NC, Verona, MS, or Victorville, CA location. To be clear, do not complete any additional deliveries,” the memo told drivers.