[NYP] The owner of United Furniture Industries, which abruptly fired all of its 2,700 employees during a single night last month, has been quietly assisting a wind-down of the business — with some insiders claiming he’s trying to "save face" following the bloodbath, The Post has learned.
David Belford — a wealthy Ohio businessman who had gone silent for several weeks following the Nov. 21 layoffs at furniture factories in Mississippi, North Carolina and California — resurfaced earlier this month, telling a local business publication he is "devastated by the turn of events" and calling the situation "agonizing."
But Belford also insisted he’s not to blame, according to the Dec. 12 interview with Columbus Business First. He called himself a "passive investor" in the Okolona, Miss.-based business, according to the report, adding that "my insight into the company’s finances was limited."
"Only very recently did I learn just how dire the situation had become, how limited the company’s options were," he said. "Unfortunately, the reality of UFI’s circumstances was brought to the board’s attention far too late." |