Mitchell Gold criticizes successor company for shutdown of business
Mitchell Gold, co-founder of the furniture manufacturing and retail company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams that abruptly shut down its operations two weeks ago nine years after Gold and his business partner Bob Williams sold it to The Stephens Group investment firm, says the shutdown was unnecessary and could have been prevented. “This shutdown did not have to happen,” Gold told the Washington Blade in a statement. “PNC Bank had a dispute with the MGBW owners, The Stephens Group, that turned into adults acting irresponsibly,” he said. “The Stephens Group issued a statement that this was out of their control, and that simply was and is not accurate,” Gold said. “They own and control the company.
They are a family-owned equity investment firm with tons of money from Little Rock, Arkansas,” he said, adding that the firm had the resources to keep the Gold + Williams operation up and running.
A spokesperson for the Stephens Group said the firm would have no comment on Gold’s statement, saying the company stands by the statement it issued last week announcing it had closed the Gold + Williams stores and factories. “We invested in Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (the ‘Company’) in 2014 in full support of the company’s priorities, solid vision, and unique offerings,” the statement says. “Recently, we invested another $20 million to restructure the Company to support its operations and set the business up for success moving forward,” the statement continues. “Unfortunately, shortly after this restructuring, the Company’s lender withdrew its support for the Company’s operations, forcing Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams to cease its manufacturing operations and liquidate the business,” it says. “The Stephens Group knows that the Company has done the best it could in a very challenging situation and empathizes with all those who are impacted.” Gold, who identifies the lender as PNC Bank, says in his statement that he believes The Stephens Group was fully capable of arranging for a
