CHS Northwest selling 5 more Whatcom County stores, laying off over 50 employees
CHS Northwest intends to sell five additional Whatcom County stores, following the sale of Lynden’s True Value hardware store and Bellingham Farm & Home.
In January, CHS Northwest filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) to the Washington State Employment Security Department stating it is selling the Lynden True Value store at 119 17th St., resulting in 11 employees being laid off on April 1.
Then last month, CHS Northwest filed another WARN announcing the sale of four additional Washington stores, including the Bellingham Farm & Home store at 3500 Meridian St. Layoffs for the Bellingham store will take effect April 19.
“It has not been the intention of CHS to close the locations, but rather to find an owner who is more directly focused on continuing and enhancing the retail experience,” Eric Ellis, senior director of operations at CHS Northwest, stated in an email to The Bellingham Herald last month. “CHS will continue to operate in the area, with a focus on providing customers and owners with energy and agronomy solutions.”
On March 5, CHS Northwest filed another WARN announcing the plan to sell five more Whatcom County stores:
- Ferndale Farm & Home: 1720 LaBounty Drive in Ferndale
- Lynden Express & Gas: 300 Main St. in Lynden
- Lynden Farm & Home: 415 Depot Rd. in Lynden
- Nooksack Farm & Home: 104 Nooksack Ave. in Nooksack
- Nooksack Express & Gas: 102 Nooksack Ave. in Nooksack
“CHS has decided to sell its convenience and farm and home stores so the company can focus on its primary business, which is to provide agronomy and energy solutions to the agricultural sector and surrounding communities,” Eric Ellis, CHS senior director of operations, told The Bellingham Herald in an email on March 11.
The five new closures will result in permanent layoffs for 57 employees on May 5, according to the notification.
“We have signed purchase agreements in place with several buyers, and the stores remain open and will continue to operate. Completion of the sales are subject to a variety of activities related to the transaction, including due diligence by the purchaser,” Ellis said.
Although the stores are for sale, it is not clear whether the stores will continue to operate as home and garden stores.
“The stores are still open and continue to operate. We are working with the current potential buyers to best understand their intentions regarding staffing and operations,” Ellis said.
