Three former Hartmarx operations were shuttered on Friday because they weren’t part of the assets picked up by new owners Emerisque Brands and SKNL North America.
The two factories are the Seaford Clothing Co. plant in Rock Island, Ill., and the Hart Schaffner Marx plant facility in Anniston, Ala. About 300 workers lost their jobs at Rock Island, which sources said was open just a few days a week. The number of workers affected at the plants facility was 175.
Also closed was the shirt factory in Hamilton, Ontario, part of the company’s Canadian Coppley division, where 50 jobs were lost.
Initially, Rock Island was set to remain open, but the asset purchase agreement was changed Thursday, the night before the Hartmarx acquisition actually closed, sources said on Tuesday. Modifications were made after the owners uncovered irregularities in the firm’s cash accounts in the days before the closing.
Sources familiar with those last-minute discussions said the former Hartmarx operating company was supposed to have informed employees about the plant shutdowns, as required by the bankruptcy process. That never happened, sources said, and Hartmarx didn’t make its payroll on Friday. Emerisque and SKNL were left scrambling over the weekend to ensure employees got their paychecks.
The new firm, Hartmarx Operating Co. LLC, includes a head count of 2,400 workers. Officials at Hartmarx couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.