HAVERHILL (CBS) — Just two months ago, Brooks Brothers made headlines for converting its factories into production facilities for surgical masks and gowns in the fight against the coronavirus. Now there’s a good chance that those factories, including the Southwick factory in Haverhill, could be closed.
“In the ordinary course of business, Brooks Brothers consistently explores various options to position the Company for growth and success,” a company spokesperson told WBZ-TV in a statement. “As part of this assessment, it is possible that we will be closing our factories in Long Island City (NY), Garland (NC), and Southwick (MA).”
Founded in 1818, Brooks Brothers is known for its American-made suits, shirts and ties. In May, the company delivered federal WARN notices to its factory employees that layoffs could be coming.
A New York Times article on Friday reported that the company “plans to lay off nearly 700 employees this summer at the factories, in Massachusetts, New York and North Carolina. Brooks Brothers is also trying to find buyers for the factories by mid-July, and expects to close them if it can’t.”
“The factories never made money for us, and at this moment all resources need to be maintained and saved to make sure we can come out on the other side of the crisis,” Brooks Brothers owner Claudio Del Vecchio told The Times.
A Brooks Brothers spokesperson said “all opportunities on the table are still being explored to avoid this difficult outcome.”
