GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A craft supplies distributor is canceling orders and laying off about 200 workers after a fire broke out at its warehouse in Grand Rapids last month, crippling operations.
Notions Marketing, which was acquired in 2023 by Nicole Craft Brands, is laying off 181 local workers starting June 28, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the state of Michigan. In total, factoring in remote employees who support operations, around 200 people are losing their jobs, a WARN notice submitted to the state of Minnesota says. The “mass layoff” is expected to be permanent.
The decision was prompted by a June 11 fire at Notions Marketing’s facility at 517 Crofton St. SE near Madison Avenue SE. In a letter, owner Anthony Piperno explained that the campus experienced a power outage for a few days. There were multiple days of storms that week, causing outages across West Michigan…