by Company said move is necessary to keep it financially solvent; it also plans to fill its current backlog of furniture hardware orders, plus anticipated orders
LANDRUM, S.C. — Bommer Industries, which has supplied various components to the furniture industry for the past 40 years, alerted customers Friday that it is exiting and ending distribution of all of its furniture hardware items.
The company said that it plans to close the business over upcoming months in what it described as “an orderly and professional manner.” The move is expected to impact about seven workers in total, including five at the company’s Landrum, South Carolina, plant and two associates based outside South Carolina.
In a May 24 letter to customers, President and Chief Operating Officer Charlie Martin said that the company remains solvent with no debt. However, he noted that it made this decision to keep the company financially solvent in order to “continue to meet its financial obligations like it has done consistently for over 147 years. Bommer intends to work with your firm and other customers to implement this decision in a responsible, orderly and planned manner.”
Bommer Industries was founded in New York City in 1876 and moved to South Carolina in 1983, producing commercial grade builders hardware products at two plants in Landrum and Gaffney, South Carolina. It closed these operations in 2022.
It has been in the furniture segment since 1984, supplying upholstery producers items ranging from legs and headrest brackets to cupholders and trays, according to one industry source.
The immediate impact on the industry is unknown, but it could force some upholstery manufacturers to find other sources including those overseas, which are said to mainly ship in larger quantities than they were used to getting from a domestic supplier like Bommer. It was immediately unclear which other domestic suppliers could also help fill the void.
Martin said that Bommer plans to fulfill its current backlog of furniture hardware orders as well as anticipated upcoming orders. He noted that the time required to close the segment of the business remains unknown, but that “it will take many months and possibly even into next year for certain items.”
“This decision was made very reluctantly and only after exploring many other alternative options over the past few years, which, unfortunately, did not materialize,” he said, noting that the company has been “financially challenged for the past 10-plus years. This decision came about because of a significant reduction in sales in 2023 due to market conditions that are not expected to improve over the next 12 months.”
“Bommer wants to publicly thank all of our customers, sales agencies, vendors and, most importantly, our dedicated employees for their long-time support and commitment,” he added, noting that many of these companies and individuals have been supporting the company for more than 30 years. “This is a very sad day for all of us that have been associated with Bommer for these many years.”
