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Amid cross-industry discussion of economic uncertainty and consolidation, some of the biggest names in packaging made announcements in May about idling or closing manufacturing facilities.
- Ball will close its Wallkill, New York, manufacturing site, the company confirmed in a May 18 notice. The company said in March that it was considering shuttering the packaging plant, citing expansion and upgrade limitations and suggesting it could shift capacity to other facilities. All 143 employees will be affected during a period beginning Aug. 18, with the site set to close Aug 31.
- Graphic Packaging is closing a paper mill in Tama, Iowa, that reportedly was operational for more than 100 years. A May 2 notice stated 85 employees will be affected by a June 2 layoff, which company executives discussed during the most recent earnings call. Additionally, GPI disclosed May 24 that it will close a converting facility in Auburn, Indiana, in August. Some 70 employees are set to be affected.
- Packaging Corp. of America is idling a pulp and paper mill in Wallula, Washington, affecting about 300 of the 450 employees, the Tri-City Herald reported. The company reportedly cited challenging economic conditions and hopes to reopen the site later this year.
- WestRock announced in early May that it will permanently close its paper mill in North Charleston, South Carolina, on Aug. 31. The decision will affect about 500 employees, the company said. Containerboard and uncoated kraft production will shift to other WestRock facilities, but this closure will mark the company’s exit from the unbleached saturating kraft paper business. WestRock was also working to close a corrugated container plant in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, by June, with about 75 jobs on the line.
- Trivium Packaging has been planning to close a plant in Weirton, West Virginia, by the end of May, prompted by a land leasing issue, The Weirton Daily Times reported earlier in the month. The closure is expected to affect 66 employees.
The first quarter of 2023 similarly brought news of closures and layoffs across paper mills, corrugated packaging, various food packaging production sites and more. At the same time, companies have announced expansions or facility enhancements, including a $1 billion investment from GPI in Waco, Texas, and a WestRock corrugated box plant in Longview, Washington, set to create dozens of jobs later this year.
