Today marks another milestone in the wind down of Fingerhut, as the company accepts its final catalog and Internet orders.
Spokesperson Ben Saukko said the cataloger plans to make shipments for one additional week and process returns through mid-July. The company's Piney Flats, TN, distribution center will close in the summer followed by the St. Cloud, MN, center.
An unspecified number of workers reportedly soon will receive layoff notices while others who have been warned of layoffs will receive extensions or termination notices. The Star Tribune of Minneapolis places employment at 3,100, including 2,600 in Minnesota.
Saukko said the company expects to retain about 850 employees through the end of September and 350 employees through the end of January.
Former Fingerhut chief executive Ted Deikel and wholesaler Tom Petters are trying to put together an offer to buy the company from Federated Department Stores, Cincinnati.
