Daniel Prince
310 employees to be laid off starting April 30
Belk has made it official that its Belk Fulfillment Center on Furman Fendley Highway is closing. In a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice, 310 employees will be laid off starting April 30th. Belk’s fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement with the county has not yet run out, and the move seems to have more to do with the company’s finances and its changing fulfillment model. Last February, Belk declared bankruptcy and emerged from it the next day. Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm, owns the company. As part of the bankruptcy plan, it reduced its debt by nearly $450 million, infused $225 million in new capital into the company, and extended its term loan maturities to July 2025. The company seems to be moving away from its fulfillment center model, as 70% or more of online orders are being fulfilled through its stores. Union lost its Belk department store in January 2016. County officials are working with the company to see exactly what will happen when the plant closes and hopes to be able to market the property to new industries. WBCU News will continue to follow this story and bring you the latest.