Oreck Corp., the Nashville, Tenn.-based manufacturer of upright vacuums and other cleaning products, has filed for chapter 11 protection and is looking for a buyer, the Tennessean reported today. Oreck said that despite the filing, the company will continue daily operations without interruption. Oreck laid off an undisclosed number of employees at the end of January, as well as in October 2012. At the time, CEO Doug Cahill said that the layoffs were not a cost-cutting maneuver, and were instead a result of a shift away from the company's traditional emphasis on direct sales. Oreck has about 70 employees in the corporate office in Nashville, and it employs 250 workers at its plant in Cookeville. In addition, the company has about 325 employees at its 96 company-owned retail stores. The company said that it anticipates that after the sale, plant operations and corporate headquarters will stay in Tennessee.
