Updated at 4:45pm on Monday, Aug. 21
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – RugsUSA, a leading e-commerce retailer and supplier of area rugs and home décor products, recently acquired the Annie Selke Companies, provider of rugs, bedding and other home goods.
As part of the integration, distribution centers were consolidated into the existing Rugs USA footprint in New Jersey. As a result, several dozen Annie Selke employees were laid off.
Local paper, the Berkshire Eagle, reported that the layoffs happened around mid-July and involved between 40 and 50 warehouse employees.
“The warehouse was out of room when I arrived more than three years ago,” said Annie Selke CEO Lori King. “This was not an easy decision, and the company is committed to supporting teammates through the transition with care and respect. Earlier this year, we announced the transition to the new warehouse would happen in the second quarter, and it just finished two weeks ago.”
RugsUSA representatives could not be reached for comment.
King will continue as CEO, and company namesake Annie Selke, who founded the company in 1994, will continue to be actively involved as chief vision officer. Codarus will continue to serve as the long-time wholesale sales representative of the Annie Selke brands.
“Annie is still highly involved in product development,” King said. “She and I have worked on a succession plan, and Annie still brings her creativity on a daily basis to everything the company does.”
King said the synergy between the Annie Selke Companies and RugsUSA, which is based in Cranbury, N.J., will help both to grow since they have similar cultures that are employee-focused.
“Joining the RugsUSA platform propels the Annie Selke brands into the future and continues to accelerate the best-in-class customer experience, all while continuing the unique product design that customers know and love, which will go-to-market as they do today under the Annie Selke, Pine Cone Hill and Dash & Albert brands,” King said.
The new warehouse offers same-day shipping on in-stock product.
“Looking forward for Annie Selke, we are also launching a new washable rug line at the upcoming High Point Market,” King said. “Thirty new rugs with the Annie Selke look will debut in High Point with about 30 more coming shortly thereafter. Annie developed the product line herself. We started taking orders on these washable rugs while we were in Las Vegas in July.”
See also: Annie Selke collaboration with Perigold turns personal