A document obtained by WAMC News dated September 7th details the plans for the layoffs and closures. Directed to the Massachusetts Department of Career Services, the legally mandated communication says that Annie Selke locations in Pittsfield at 125 Pecks Road and in Lenox at 36 Main Street are “expected to be permanently closed in the near future.” It says that employees were to be notified on September 10th, and that the layoffs will take place by December 31st. The letter notes that “employees are not represented by a union and there are no bumping rights” before going on to detail the 47 jobs expected to be impacted. It’s signed by Conor Tobin, the Chief Human Resources Officer of Rugs USA.
Wednesday morning, the MassHire Department of Career Services Rapid Response team confirmed to WAMC that it had received the notice. WAMC contacted Massachusetts Undersecretary for Workforce Development Alysia Ordway to find out what response a layoff announcement triggers on the commonwealth level.
“Being laid off is never easy for any individual, and so oftentimes it's really just about regrouping and thinking about what how to stay whole in the short run, and then think about what could come next. Navigating unemployment insurance, thinking through things like sustaining healthcare insurance, those are all first order operations, but then thinking about where their skills might be best utilized and or whether or not there's an opportunity to maybe retool or upskill," Ordway told WAMC. “Here in the Department of Career Services, our Rapid Response team follows up and connects with the human resources team at the company to determine an understanding of the timeline by which they anticipate making their layoffs. Conversations oftentimes, sometimes, will be about whether or not there's an opportunity to utilize resources to help connect people to other opportunities in the area, even before the layoff. So, this would be everything from facilitating job fairs or training fairs. The commonwealth team is also available to provide act as a resource to answer questions about potential unemployment insurance as well.”
The Annie Selke Companies were founded in 1994, and include the titular brand along with Pine Cone Hill and Dash & Albert. Its Pittsfield headquarters are in a former woolen mill that was first constructed in 1863. The company’s website is emblazoned with the slogan “we believe in being good global citizens” and prominently flexes its Western Massachusetts identity.
It was bought out by Rugs USA in 2023. The Cranbury, New Jersey-based company reportedly laid off between 40 and 50 employees after the acquisition.
An employee who spoke with WAMC on the condition of anonymity described frequently shifting priorities inside the company after the purchase, and said the Pittsfield location had been gradually phased out of use prior to the abrupt announcement of its permanent closure and staff layoffs.
Rugs USA confirmed the layoffs and closures to WAMC on Wednesday, describing the move as “not an easy decision” and made to “sharpen [their] focus on business growth” by consolidating operations. The company says it’s doing everything it can to support the employees losing their jobs.
State Representative Smitty Pignatelli, the Democrat who represents the Southern Berkshires in Boston, is also serving as interim town manager in Lenox.
“Well, it's very disappointing to me, because Annie Selke has built an amazing business," he told WAMC. "I mean, she's no longer the owner, I understand she sold the company, but it's under the name. But nonetheless, I mean, there's decent jobs in the Berkshires that – you're giving me, news that I haven't heard before – that will be lost. So, it's always a little distressing, and I think we're going through a challenging time. I mean, this post-COVID has given us opportunities to kind of chart a new path, but I think it's made it very difficult for people who have the bricks and mortar storefronts as well.”
Pignatelli says losing almost 50 jobs is a blow to the local economy.
“I grew up in the days when General Electric had 10,000 people and the paper mills had thousands of people," he said. "So, when those are all gone now, we try to rebuild our economy 10, 20, 30, 50 jobs at a time, and to see 50 jobs leave the Berkshires, I think, is a challenge, and it's going to be a huge impact, a bigger impact than you would think about normally back in the heyday when employers had tens of thousands of people, employees. So, very distressing and heartbreaking.”
Pignatelli suggested laid off workers turn to resources like the Berkshire Workforce Board for help.
“There's plenty of job openings in the Berkshires, and if we can kind of retrain and retool and transition them into new job openings, I think that will be a welcome opportunity as well," said the rep. "So, not knowing the details, it's very distressing, but I think there are other opportunities for people to transition to a new job in Berkshire County, because there's plenty of them.”
Democratic State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier represents Pittsfield on Beacon Hill.
“First and foremost, my concern is for those 47 individuals and their families, and so we have processes in place, led through Berkshire Hire, to be able to assist those individuals in a rapid response way to be able to get what they need, as far as looking for other jobs, and if needed, get assistance from the state as they look for other jobs,” she told WAMC.
Reached for comment by WAMC, the office of Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti said he was unaware of the planned layoffs and had not been contacted by Rugs USA.
