Child Craft clarification
-- Kids Today, 9/26/2007 11:54:00 AM
According to Child Craft President Bill Suvak, reports that ran in this week’s Louisville Courier-Journal and Indianapolis Star are incorrect and were triggered by a simple recertification process.
Child Craft, based in New Salisbury, Ind., applied for Trade Adjustment Assistance through the U.S. Department of Labor in 2004. This program was put in place by the government to assist displaced employees from companies that have been affected by the globalization of trade.
“As a manufacturer in the furniture business for nearly 100 years, we have definitely been impacted and, therefore, qualified,” Suvak said. “Our certification under this program was set to expire in October of this year. Our human resource director applied for and received a two-year extension (to September of 2009) of this potential employee benefit simply to provide our employees with an opportunity for these benefits should they be laid-off in the future. This is not to make any declaration that they will be out of work, but rather to provide a benefit that we currently have in the event that should happen.”
Suvak said there are no plans for major layoffs and there are no plans to close the Harrison County plant, which both papers also reported.
The Courier-Journal article also made reference to Child Craft moving production to Honduras.
“The truth is that we have operated a plant in Honduras since 2003 and nothing has changed in that regard,” Suvak said. “The company continues to source from Asia and Honduras, while maintaining light manufacturing capabilities and functions at its main location in Indiana.”
Suvak said the erroneous reports have caused a lot of confusion for retailers and consumers. He asserts that “things are no different this week than they were last week.”
