Plant closings, layoffs return to industry. (Trends & News).

After a quiet year, mass layoffs and plant closings roared back to the fore front in the past month. Among the major events:

* Steelcase Inc. of Grand Rapids, MI, said it will cut 800 office jobs, mostly in western Michigan, by next February. The company has cut staff by more than 6,500 since December 2000. The most recent announcement came on the heels of the company's second fiscal quarter report, which showed an 18% year-over-year sales decline and a $7.3 million net loss.

* Thomasville Furniture Industries of Thomasville, NC, said it plans to lay off 425 workers, citing realignment. Most layoffs will be in the company's Plant B facility. Products that were made there will be moved to other plants or imported.

* Leggett & Platt Inc. of Carthage, MO, announced that it plans to sell or close five of its plants, including one commercial fixture facility. The plant is located in Wooster, OH, and makes parts for the telecommunications industry. The company said the plant will be idled, although it hopes to start the plant up again when the telecommunications industry strengthens. The plant employs 100 people.

* Bassett Furniture Industries Inc. announced that it will move production from its Los Angeles, CA, upholstery plant to its facilities in Newton and Hiddenite, NC. The company expects to close the plant by the end of October and eliminate its 200 employees. Bassett said that productivity gains created excess capacity at the North Carolina operations.

* La-Z-Boy inc. of Monroe, MI, announced that its Bauhaus USA inc. unit, which produces upholstered furniture, will acquire two facilities in the Tupelo, MI, area. One of the facilities that Bauhaus will acquire is currently operated by La-Z-Boy's HickoryMark unit, which will cease manufacturing on Oct. 25. The company said that HickoryMark employees will have the opportunity to apply for a reduced number of jobs at the new Bauhaus facilities.

* Federal Way, WA-based Weyerhaeuser Co. announced that it will permanently close its Lillie, LA, particleboard plant. The plant will close by Dec. 31, eliminating 127 jobs. Weyerhaeuser acquired the plant as part of its purchase of Willamette Industries.

* The Keller Manufacturing Co. Inc., a home furniture maker based in Corydon, IN, announced that it plans to close its Culpeper, VA, plant in late November. About 120 employees will be displaced by the closure. The company said it plans to consolidate production into its facilities in Corydon and New Salisbury, IN, and that future growth will come from expansion of the New Salisbury facility.