La-Z-Boy workers face new job search
The company said Wednesday that it plans to shutter the Box Elder County plant this summer. The announcement shocked workers and others in the community.
"I'm just looking for a new job now," Collom said Thursday. "I thought we would be the last La-Z-Boy plant to close, because we're the only one in the Midwest."
La-Z-Boy spokeswoman Kathy Liebmann said Thursday that high turnover at a Utah factory had contributed to the company's decision to shut down the plant, sending many jobs to Mexico. Utah's strong economy and low unemployment rate created a constant need for hiring and training at the furniture assembly plant. She said that has made the factory inefficient.
Collom had no inkling of what was to come until employees were told of the closure at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, he said.
"Everybody was surprised," he said. "It's hard. I've had good relationships with a lot of people there."
Collom's wife, Kisha, said she and her husband are disappointed but need to move forward. For his part, he will try to land a production job at Malt-O-Meal, West Liberty Foods, ATK or another major employer in the area.
"This is unexplainable," Kisha Collom said. "He came home and told me about it. It's just your whole world just falls apart."
The situation is compounded by Ricky Collom being the sole supporter of the family, which has four children ranging in age from 8 to 16.
"All I can say is we hope we can land on our own two feet," she said. "He gave 20 years, and he'll give somebody else those good years, too. He's still young. There's not much you can do. You just try to look on the positive side. If you look at the negative, it can eat you up.
"La-Z-Boy has been good to us. That's what makes it hard," she added.
Tremonton Mayor Max Weese said the plan to close the plant was "a mighty big blow," because the plant's employees come from not just Tremonton, but Cache and Weber counties, as well as portions of southern Idaho.
"I won't even guess how many Tremonton residents work there," Weese said, "but I do know that La-Z-Boy has been a real good community company. I wouldn't dare guess how many La-Z-Boy chairs they've given away over the years when there have been fundraisers. They've supported the city and been a good company here. We're sorry to have it go."
La-Z-Boy has been the town's largest employer, and the mayor is hoping affected workers can find work. "I feel like we can absorb some of them — maybe not all 600, but some of them — with the other industries in town," he said.
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