La-Z-Boy to invest in New Tazewell, TN manufacturing campus

La-Z-Boy Incorporated announced it plans to invest approximately $10 million in its England Inc. upholstery manufacturing campus, located in New Tazewell, Tennessee.  The 1.1 million square-foot New Tazewell complex, which began operations in 1964 and was acquired by La-Z-Boy Incorporated in 1995, employs approximately 1,400 people, manufactures a full line of upholstered stationary and motion furniture with the unparalleled industry distinction of delivering custom furniture in 21 days or less, and operates a premier transportation fleet integral to its unique delivery system.

The scope of the investment includes two projects: an 87,000 square-foot expansion to the existing 400,000 square-foot upholstery manufacturing plant; and the construction of a new 22,500 square-foot corporate office building to replace one destroyed in a fire in May of 2017.  Construction of both projects will begin immediately, with expectations for the additional capacity at the plant to be ready for operation by January 2019 and the office building to be completed in the spring of 2019.  The corporate office will be home to approximately 100 employees and will feature an open concept floor plan. The State of Tennessee is providing financial support toward the projects.

Kurt L. Darrow, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, of La-Z-Boy Incorporated, said, “Ongoing strategic investments across our manufacturing operations is essential as we continue to strengthen our domestic manufacturing platform to grow our business and return value to shareholders.  England has been an excellent performer over the years with consistent increases in sales and profitability.  Increasing capacity at the New Tazewell facility will allow us to answer existing demand challenges and continue to expand the England business.  We would like to thank the State of Tennessee and the City of New Tazewell for their cooperation, support and encouragement on these projects.  We look forward to the plant expansion and hiring additional workers as England continues to flourish.  And, with our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, we intend to construct a LEED-certified corporate office building utilizing recognized sustainable building practices.”

Terry England, President, England Furniture, said, “This is an exciting time for England as we continue to canvas the United States and add to our dealer network.  Expanding our production capacity will allow us to improve the efficiency of our existing operations while increasing output to satisfy the additional demand we are already experiencing.  We will be methodical throughout the construction process to ensure there is no disruption of service to our customer base and they continue to receive their orders in 21 days or less.”