(Reporter Ty Albright from Missourinet Joplin affiliate KZRG contributed to this story)

One of southwest Missouri’s biggest manufacturers will resume partial production at its Neosho plant on Monday.

Missourinet Joplin affiliate KZRG reports furniture company La-Z-Boy furloughed about 800 employees at the Neosho plant in late March, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company as a whole laid about 6,800 employees, or about 70 percent of its workforce.

KZRG reports it’s unclear how many of them will return to work on Monday morning.

Neosho, a town of about 12,000 residents, is the county seat in Newton County. The town is nicknamed the “City of Springs.” Newton County Presiding Commissioner Bill Reiboldt tells Missourinet that La-Z-Boy is Neosho’s largest manufacturer.

KZRG reports the products produced in Neosho will address a backlog, as La-Z-Boy looks to re-open their retail stores during the next several weeks.

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