we begin tonight with a big story the
end of an era art van going out of
business closing all of its stores
liquidation sales set to start tomorrow
the iconic Detroit pays furniture
company says it will wide down
operations at all company owned stores
in Michigan Illinois Missouri and Ohio
31 hundred workers will lose their jobs
and the biggest impact will be right
here in Metro Detroit art van was
founded 60 years ago by art van L
slander it was then in East Detroit its
headquarters is in Warren the company
has been part of the fabric of our
region for decades 7 Action News
reporters Syma Chowdhry live outside the
art van on Greenfield Road in Southfield
just one of the many that will be
closing its doors cyma
that's right this is awful news for
employees here we're talking nearly 200
stores in five states leaving thousands
of employees without a job
art van furniture is a household name
tell me one person who doesn't have a
piece of art and furniture in their own
house you might be watching this news
story as you sit on a couch you got from
art van the furniture company has been
around for more than 60 years it grew to
190 stores here in Michigan Illinois
Indiana Missouri and Ohio spokesperson
Dianne Charles tells us thirty-one
employees will soon be without jobs a
very sad day for all of us I mean we
were so proud to work for the company
and no one wanted to see it happen like
this 262 employees are just at this
location the headquarters in Warren on
14 Mile Road kind of sad you know
they're a big big item and why I
consider it devastating news Warren
Mayor Jim Fouts tells us art van brought
in more than two million dollars in tax
revenue a big financial hold that they
will need to fill art van alles lenders
started the company in 1959 in East
Detroit a year before his death art van
was sold to a private equity firm in
Boston from employees to customers to
officials many are feeling the
disappointment Boston is Richard at the
expense of the workers of Warren and
that is wrong art van worked so hard
to build this company you know and to
see it gone yep sad and there are so
many questions surrounding this
situation especially for customers what
does this mean for their purchases they
just made warranties refunds well right
now all that information is unclear
right now but we're told that art van is
updating their website and they will
include that information really soon
we're alive in Southfield Syma Chowdhry
7 Action News
an iconic furniture store a lot of
people will be sad to see it go Simon
thank you