Freeburg, PA—William Penn Cabinetry, a Freeburg, PA firm that sought to create jobs for the hundreds of employees laid off by the sudden May 2019 closure of Kreamer, PA-based Wood Mode, Inc., plans to liquidate its assets under a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing if the court approves it.
A sister company, Stanley Woodworking, has also filed for Chapter 7. Both companies are owned by Maurice Brubaker, a tax accountant who entered the business in 2020 with no prior experience in cabinetmaking. Brubaker had a third business, Wood-Metal, which he acquired from the late Bob Gronlund, who was CEO of Wood Mode. Local media report that Brubaker lists $50,000 in assets for the two firms, and liabilities greater than $1 million. Both firms have been shuttered since the fall.
Wood-Mode, meanwhile, reconstituted itself following its closure. Former Wood-Mode Inc. workers who sued for back pay recently lost their case in court. Meanwhile Wood-Mode, LLC USA, which reopened the former Wood-Mode Inc. plant, recently announced a multi-million dollar investment in plant infrastructure, and is growing successfully.
