This End Up Goes Belly Up After 26 Years

On Monday, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge signed Chapter 11 liquidation papers allowing liquidation sales at the company's 69 remaining stores.

This End Up has facilities in Sanford, Lillington, and Benson. An employee says management kept workers in the dark.

"The only way we find out what's going on is through the Internet and it's always 24 hours old when we find out anything. A lot of people were laid off today, and quite frankly, it's [putting] a lot of mental stress on everybody," says employee Roy Godfrey, who worries about finding a new job.

Most factories and distribution centers will close within two months; stores are expected to close within the next two to three weeks.

Randall Ward and Steve Robertson founded the crate-style furniture company 26 years ago. They sold the company in 1985 for $47 million.

This End Up retail stores are mostly found in malls throughout the eastern United States -- including Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh.

No one from the company's headquarters was available for comment Monday.

Customers who have questions about furniture orders or have made down payments can call the company's customer service line at1-800-627-5161.