A Danish family-owned furniture manufacturer is facing significant challenges in a declining market for Danish design classics. As a result, the company, Carl Hansen & Søn, has announced layoffs, including 10 employees, and will not fill 13 open positions.
This decision follows a record financial loss of 17 million kroner, marking its first deficit since 2007. Changes in leadership include the departure of Marketing Director Morten Lauge Jensen, with Morten Mai Hansen set to take over in early 2025.
In addition to personnel changes, the company will close showrooms in London and New York when leases expire, focusing on flagship stores instead. A consolidation of lighting activities will merge two recent acquisitions, Pandul and Okholm Lighting, under the Okholm brand.
Despite the current struggles, CEO Knud Erik Hansen emphasizes the importance of employees and acknowledges their role as vital resources for the company. The company reported 363 employees, though this number is likely reduced after the layoffs. The financial strain is also attributed to investments in IT systems and decreased demand in key markets.
Source: www.wood-supply.dk