JELD-WEN, the Charlotte-based door and window manufacturer, will lay off 850 employees across its North American operations.
The company announced the layoffs Tuesday after reporting a $378 million net operating loss in its third quarter earnings report, according to a news release. Across North America and Europe, JELD-WEN employees about 16,000 people.
The layoffs represent an 11% reduction in its North American and corporate workforce. It’s unclear where these cuts will occur or when. JELD-WEN’s headquarters is in southwest Charlotte, and it has 279 employees in the city.
JELD-WEN also announced it will be performing a “strategic review” of its European business. It’s unclear what that will consist of. But in the news release, CEO William Christensen said the review reflects the company’s “commitment to optimizing our portfolio and aligning resources to best support sustainable performance over time.”
This will be the second round of layoffs for the manufacturer this year. In March, JELD-WEN shuttered an Iowa factory, laying off 298, as reported by the Des Moines Register.
Last year also saw major cuts by the manufacturer. In Iowa, 152 people were laid off in November 2024. In April of that year, two manufacturing plants in California and Wisconsin were shuttered, impacting 450 jobs.
JELD-WEN did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday from The Charlotte Observer.
Jeld-Wen confirmed that it is eliminating 11% of its workforce in North America, including in Charlotte. Courtesy of Jeld-Wen
About JELD-WEN
JELD-WEN was founded in Oregon in 1960, and it opened its first window assembly plant in Charlotte in 1962. The manufacturer relocated its headquarters to Charlotte in 2012.
From then, JELD-WEN was focused on expanding, opening a Statesville plant in 2021 with a $7 million investment and the plan to hire 235 people.
But numbers have been decreasing for the manufacturer.
JELD-WEN saw a 13.4% decrease, or a decrease of $125.2 million, in net revenues, according to its third quarter report. Last year, the company earned $934.7 million at this time compared to $809.5 million, reported Tuesday.
The manufacturer’s North American operations is where the loss occurred. Net revenues were $546.1 million, a $131.8 million decline from last year, or 19.4%.
Jeld-Wen windows and doors manufacturer opened its first window assembly plant in Charlotte in 1962. The company relocated its headquarters to Charlotte in 2012. Observer file
In Europe, the manufacturer saw net revenues of $263.3 million, an increase of $6.6 million.
Christensen said the third-quarter results were due to “persistent market headwinds and price-cost pressures.” That looks like inflation on labor and material costs along with tariff price increase, according to the earnings call.
JELD-WEN estimated that it will see a $45 million annualized impact of tariffs on the business, with about $17 million expected to be seen in this year’s results.
There’s also low market demand. New single-family home construction is down, along with multifamily and home repair. Shrinking the workforce is just one way JELD-WEN plans to make up for the revenue losses.
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Desiree Mathurin
The Charlotte Observer
Desiree Mathurin covers growth and development for The Charlotte Observer. The native New Yorker returned to the East Coast after covering neighborhood news in Denver at Denverite and Colorado Public Radio. She’s also reported on high school sports at Newsday and southern-regional news for AP. Desiree is exploring Charlotte and the Carolinas, and is looking forward to taking readers along for the ride. Send tips and coffee shop recommendations.
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