AmericasMart Cuts Staff by 10%

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 4/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

Atlanta —

AmericasMart Atlanta, the gift tradeshow and showroom management firm, laid off about 10% of its staff of some 250, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The specific number of jobs cut was not immediately available.

Jeffrey Portman, president and coo of AMC, AmericasMart's parent company, said in a statement, "Like every other business worldwide, AMC Inc. has been reexamining its business strategies and market conditions to create a more efficient organization to position AMC Inc. for long-term growth and profitability."

The move comes not long after AmericasMart defied the prevailing trend toward consolidation by opening the new Building 2 West Wing.

In addition to hosting the major gift markets every January and July, as well as smaller spring and fall gift events, AmericasMart also runs apparel and housewares tradeshows during the year.

(Reported by HTT sister publication Gifts & Decorative Accessories.)