More than 170 workers at ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturer Prepac are set to lose their jobs as the company moves its production to North Carolina, citing an “altered economic environment,” according to a press release issued by Unifor.
The company, founded in Canada 45 years ago, announced it will cease manufacturing at its Delta, B.C., facility on March 14, with maintenance operations continuing until all employees are laid off in May. Prepac, which was locally owned until private equity firm TorQuest acquired it in 2019, expanded its Delta operations in 2020 before opening its North Carolina facility the following year, it said.
Unifor, which represents affected workers, criticized the decision, arguing that tariffs imposed by the United States are being used as a pretext for shifting jobs south.
“Our union has been warning about lost investment and production since Trump began his economic war on Canada and Canadian workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “In this case, Prepac and its equity owners are using the tariffs as an excuse to redirect all their production to the U.S. It’s pure greed.”
Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s western regional director, called the move “a slap in the face” to Canadian workers and consumers who have supported the company since 1979. He said the union will launch a national boycott of Prepac products in response.
“It’s another example of equity firms stripping companies for profit with no regard for jobs, community, or frankly, decency,” McGarrigle said.
Unifor represents 320,000 workers across multiple industries in Canada and has been vocal about the impact of trade policies on manufacturing jobs.
