Barcalounger Closure Marks Continued Manufacturing Decline in Edgecombe County

Last week was a tough one for the people of Edgecombe County, about 80 minutes east of Raleigh with Friday, June 26th, marking the last day of operations for the Barcalounger factory in Rocky Mount.

Barcalounger has made several types of reclining furniture in the Rocky Mount facility since it opened in 1964. At its peak in the 1970s and 80s, the factory employed nearly 500 people. As it closed down here in 2009, there were about 140 people on the payroll. The employees said they knew something was coming. They knew they were filling fewer orders and the impact that could have.

Barcalounger had built a reputation based on quality. All of its pieces are hand-made with a strict attention to detail. The company says in good economic times, many consumers are willing to pay extra for the quality of hand-made Barcalounger. Now that times are tighter and wallets lighter, consumers are going with price over production quality.

The company will still make Barcalounger products at a facility in Virginia. Barcalounger says North Carolina made every effort to keep the jobs in Edgecombe County, but the state’s neighbor to the north made a better offer.

Many of the roughly 140 employees who are being laid off as part of this move are older; having worked at the Barcalounger plant for decades. Roy Edgerton, the facilities manager, is one of them. He started at Barcalounger in 1964 and has been there ever since. When the heavy rains from Hurricane Floyd forced the Tar River over its banks in September 1999, Edgerton and his son-in-law arrived at the factory by boat. They floated over the fence and were able to salvage several computers before they were destroyed. Even with significant flood damage, Edgerton and his co-workers were able to get the plant up and running again in just three weeks.

Even though Edgerton’s losing the job he’s held since President Lyndon Johnson’s administration, in many ways, he considers himself fortunate. He’s old enough to draw Social Security benefits. He worries about many of his younger co-workers who are caught in a terrible position: too young for social security, but not young enough to appeal to other employers. The workers from Barcalounger enter a competitive employment environment; Edgecombe County’s unemployment rate has dropped about 1-1/2 percent this spring, but it still stood at 15.3 percent in April.

Manufacturing job losses still account for much of Edgecombe County’s unemployment challenges, but some of the county’s largest employers are doing relatively well. QVC has a major distribution center in Edgecombe County and Sara Lee has a facility also. So far, both have been able to fight through this downturn without big job cuts. The county itself is also a large employer. Since Edgecombe never experienced the boom many other counties did, it’s not having to make painful budget cuts this year.

So many of the people I’ve spoken with have mentioned the heart-and-soul of Edgecombe County’s workforce. This is a group of people who have been through hard times before but also have a determination to work hard and a deep loyalty to anyone who gives them the chance.

Visit UNC-TV’s Patchwork North Carolina site for more on Edgecombe County and extended interviews.