Newton La-Z-Boy will relocate its Leather Cutting and Sewing division to Mexico by the end of the year, Daniel Simoneau, general manager for La-Z-Boy’s Newton operations, said Monday. The move will impact 105 employees at the company’s Newton location.
Simoneau said a “detailed analysis” of the company’s operations showed it would be more effective to have the Leather Cutting and Sewing division located at its Mexico plant, which currently staffs about 1,500 workers. The transition, he said, would begin October 10 and continue through December.
“We will begin ramping down October 10 and be finished sometime in December,” he said.
The 105 employees in the Newton division will be given the opportunity to apply for other positions within the company, Simoneau said. Based on current hiring practices, he said La-Z-Boy was confident the displaced workers would be able to stay with the company if they so choose.
“We hire several people per week just through regular attrition, so we’re fairly confident we can find work for all employees who choose to stay with the company,” he said.
Simoneau said Newton La-Z-Boy will have outplacement services on site over the coming weeks to help with the transition. Each of the 105 employees will meet with outpatient service providers to identify job skills and complete applications for open positions in other departments at the company’s Newton location.
