The parent company of Valu City Furniture and American Signature Furniture, one of the few remaining national brands that sell furniture, mattresses and home décor in Baltimore County, has filed for bankruptcy.
American Signature Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware and is now up for sale. The company’s website states: “On November 22, 2025, American Signature began a court-supervised process to facilitate a sale process. Select stores and our website remain open currently, and we hope to help you find the style, quality, and value furniture you have come to love.”
The website lists 126 store locations across both brands. However, according to the online FAQs, some stores have been identified for closure and are conducting final sales. Of the 33 stores listed, the Rockville is the only Maryland location slated for closure at this time.
There are nine Valu City locations in Maryland, including in Bel Air, Catonsville, Glen Burnie and White Marsh. A delivery center is located in Nottingham.
Officials believe bankruptcy and a sale was the best option for the 77-year-old company. “In the face of the ongoing macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted the entire home furnishing industry, the Company has carefully evaluated its options to assess the best path forward in the current operating environment,” Rudy Morando, co-chief restructuring officer for ASI, stated in a news release. “Through that review, we determined that entering a court-supervised process will provide the best opportunity to maximize value.”
Customers should be wary of purchasing gift cards, returns and exchanges, and warranties, as the company makes changes to its policies and programs. Valu City wants customers to continue their financing payments but are not guaranteeing that all orders will be filled. “We are committed to doing our best to fulfill customer orders for products which are currently in stock through December 22, 2025,” the website reads. It goes on to say that if the company is unable to fulfil an order on which a customer placed a deposit, they may be able to file a claim.
Founded in 1948, American Signature, Inc. is a family-owned and operated furniture retailer based in Columbus, Ohio. Following the approach of owner Ephraim Schottenstein, who began selling furniture in the basement of his Columbus clothing store in the 1930s.
In Catonsville, customers first became familiar with the Value City brand as a department store that sold off-price clothes, jewelry and shoes on the main level and furniture and home goods on the lower level. The space was expanded to a larger-size furniture store once with a separate entrance once the retail store closed in 2008.
The Valu City Furniture’s demise follows the closing of other stores in the area. Big Lots, also located in Westview Shopping Center, shut its doors earlier this year. Other retailers, Joann Fabric in Catonsville and Party City in Catonsville and Owings Mills, recently went out of business.