Berry Global, Menasha Packaging and Solo Cup are all making changes to Illinois plants that will impact hundreds of jobs.
Berry said in an emailed statement that on Aug. 30 it announced it will convert its Woodstock, Illinois, manufacturing facility to a distribution center. “The decision is in support of the Company’s efforts to streamline operations and increase capacity utilization,” the company said. Berry executives have said on earnings calls this year that the company is cutting costs, “rationalizing” facility capacity and moving business to more efficient sites. The company reported it made 20 facility closures in the quarter that ended July 1.
According to data filed with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Opportunity, 82 jobs will be affected, with 72 layoffs noted for Nov. 1 and another 10 for Feb. 1. “We will work diligently to support impacted employees during this transition,” Berry said in its statement.
Berry did not specify in a statement if the manufacturing capacity will be shifted elsewhere, what the distribution center will be used for, and whether affected employees will have the opportunity to transition from manufacturing to distribution roles.
Wisconsin-based Menasha Packaging — whose work spans graphic consumer packaging, contract packaging, corrugated packaging, food packaging and shipping containers — is planning 66 layoffs at an Edwardsville, Illinois, location; 26 at a Minooka location; and 51 at an Alsip location. All of those notices are dated Oct. 31, citing restructuring. Those sites have focused on sign manufacturing and corrugated and solid fiber box manufacturing.
Solo Cup Operating Corp. is closing a plant in Urbana, with plans for 138 layoffs come Oct. 27. It cited a business slowdown as the reason. Solo Cup has a long history in Illinois, with headquarters in Lake Forest, and was bought by Dart Corp. in 2012. Stepheny McMahon, economic development supervisor in the city of Urbana, has been looking into transitioning affected employees to positions with other area businesses in need of labor, local news station WCIA reported last week. Dart laid off 84 employees earlier this year at a Georgia plant that makes Solo food service containers and lids, citing lower demand.
Elsewhere in the Midwest, WestRock recently disclosed plans to close a corrugated sheet plant in Indiana in October, affecting 101 jobs.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Minooka.
