Packaging Corporation of America is permanently closing its Baltimore Street manufacturing plant in Middletown, Ohio, displacing 91 workers as part of a broader network consolidation. The facility, which produces cardboard boxes and packaging materials, will wind down operations by December 1, with the building fully vacated by the end of the year.
The Bottom Line
- Operational Consolidation: Work from the Middletown site is shifting to larger facilities, specifically a newly opened 550,000-square-foot corrugated converting plant in Newark, Ohio.
- Labor Impact: Ninety-one employees, represented by the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, Local 1676, face layoffs, with union representation currently bargaining for severance and extended benefits.
- Corporate Strategy: The shutdown aligns with a multi-year recapitalization effort and capital expenditure cycle that has seen extensive investments in modernized box plants and mills nationwide.
The WARN Notice and Corporate Restructuring
The permanent closure of the Middletown facility was made public through a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filed with the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services. The notification, addressed to local officials including the mayor of Middletown and Butler County commissioners, cited a strategic pivot toward larger and more efficient operational hubs.
Packaging Corporation of America executives previously highlighted the operational shift during quarterly financial communications. Leadership noted that a newly constructed facility in Newark, Ohio, began operations ahead of schedule, designed to enhance long-term capabilities across the state. The Middletown facility’s final operational date is set for December 1, though a limited number of staff may be retained briefly to manage the final shutdown phases.
Labor and Community Consequences
Employees at the Baltimore Street plant are represented by the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, Local 1676. Steve Ackerman, a representative for the union, stated that bargaining discussions are underway to secure severance packages, extended health insurance, and job placement assistance for affected personnel.
“We don’t want to see it, whether it’s nine people or 91 or 900,” Ackerman said regarding the closure. “We never want to lose a plant; it’s people’s livelihoods.”
Local residents and union organizers have pointed to the challenging timing of the shuttering. Another Middletown packaging facility previously closed roughly 15 months prior, eliminating 136 jobs.
Broader Manufacturing Realignment
The Middletown closure mirrors wider capital allocation adjustments across the containerboard and packaging sector. Packaging Corporation of America has actively reconfigured its footprint following capital investments exceeding $5.2 billion in mills and box plants over the past decade, alongside integration efforts following the acquisition of Greif’s containerboard business.
Similar facility contractions have occurred across the company’s national footprint. A WARN filing in Indiana disclosed intentions to close a full-line plant in Gas City affecting 78 workers, a Virginia plant shutdown occurred in June, and the permanent shut down of the No. 2 paper machine and kraft pulping facilities at its containerboard mill in Wallula, Washington, was scheduled for February.
| Facility Location | Action Taken | Impacted Workers | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middletown, Ohio | Permanent Plant Closure | 91 | December 1 |
| Gas City, Indiana | Full-Line Plant Closure | 78 | Week of Oct. 26 |
| Newark, Ohio | New Plant Opening | N/A | Summer |
Next Steps for Displaced Personnel
Company representatives have indicated that corporate leadership will collaborate with state agencies, including the Department of Job & Family Services, to coordinate dislocated worker assistance. Employees interested in maintaining employment within the enterprise are being offered opportunities to apply for open positions at other Packaging Corporation of America operational sites.
The facility is scheduled to be completely vacant by the end of the year.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
