Up to 130 jobs will be lost as furniture manufacturer Holsag Canada will shutter its facility in Lindsay, Ont., in March 2026.
Parent company Mity Inc., based in Orem, Utah, announced earlier this month that the operations in the heart of Kawartha Lakes will be consolidated with its U.S. facilities.
Mity CEO Kevin McCoy says the move comes after a comprehensive review of the company’s global operations and reflects “macroeconomic and operational realities.”
“Decisions like this are extremely difficult,” he stated in a release. “Our Canadian team has been dedicated and hardworking, and we are deeply grateful for their contributions.
“However, with the challenges of fluctuating tariffs, shifting trade policies, and rising costs, combined with a challenging sales environment and sustained pressure on profitability, we must consolidate operations to ensure the long-term strength of our business.”
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Originally founded as Holsag Europe in 1960, Holsag Canada has been operating privately in Lindsay since 1990. Holsag boasts high-quality wooden chairs, barstools, benches and more made from European beech hardwood.
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The company has shipped over a million chairs worldwide with an extensive list of partners, such as restaurants, fast-food franchises, retirement homes and health-care facilities. The Lindsay facility serves Canadian and U.S. customers.
Holsag Canada was sold to Minty in 2017.
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City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Doug Elmslie met with company leaders on Wednesday and talks focused on the impacts of tariffs.
“Most of their business goes to the United States,” he said. “So with a 30 per cent tariff, it wasn’t sustainable for them to keep going.”
Elmslie says the impending closure is another major hit to a region struggling to hold onto its manufacturing base.
“We have … not a great deal of manufacturing here,” he told Global News on Thursday. “It has, over the years, gone away. We do have some and we’re trying very hard to hang on to everything we have and to grow the envelope.”
In a recent statement, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes Brock MPP Laurie Scott called Minty’s decision “devastating news” for the community.
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“This is a direct result of the ongoing trade war under the Trump administration,” Scott said.
Mity did not provide any further details on the closure, stating that a transition period will take place over the coming months. The company says it will support affected employees through severance, benefits and career transition assistance.
“Our focus remains on delivering high-quality product and reliable services to our customers while positioning Holsag and Mity Inc. for sustainable growth in a changing global environment,” McCoy said.
Elmslie says the Holsag closure is evidence that tariffs have far-reaching impacts.
“We live in kind of rural Ontario and we think ourselves insulated from the greater world,” he said. “And suddenly it hits you that you’re not.”
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