Knoll, Inc. announced Friday the decision to temporarily suspend production of certain workplace products at its East Greenville, Pa., manufacturing site, following Gov. Tom Wolf’s March 19 executive order to close all non-life-sustaining businesses to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Knoll, a constellation of design-driven brands for the workplace and home interiors, said that it is working to seek a waiver to the production halt, noting that it provides workplace products to the U.S. government and healthcare organizations. Knoll warehouse and distribution centers, such as KnollTextiles, will not be affected by the order and have increased health and safety measures at those locations.
“We are committed to the health and safety of our associates and protecting their families and the community, and look forward to working with government leaders to reopen our East Greenville site as soon as possible,” Knoll Chairman and CEO Andrew Cogan said. “At the same time, our customer service teams are working closely with our clients on contingency plans as we also work with suppliers and distribution partners to assess the impact of this situation to our business.”
Currently, Knoll manufacturing and distribution facilities in Toronto, Canada; Buffalo, N.Y., and Michigan are operational. The company’s Italian sites are scheduled to be closed from April 1-13 as a precautionary measure being taken by other plants in the area.
The East Greenville site employs roughly 350 hourly associates.
“Looking beyond this crisis, we expect that the time away from the workplace will only make people appreciate even more the benefits of the social interaction that the workplace provides, and we look forward to working with clients to plan inspiring spaces,” Cogan said.