Factory Fallout: Manufacturing layoffs from Nike, Polaris, Gerresheimer Glass Inc., and more and more

With political winds changing and global markets tightening, manufacturers are making tough decisions—and workers are feeling the impact. In this roundup, we chronicle the closures and cutbacks reverberating throughout the manufacturing sector.

Polaris announced April 20 that it would close down its Osceola, Wisconsin, manufacturing plant and lay off 189 employees there, starting in July 2026 and finishing January 31, 2027, according to local news source WJFW 12 and a WARN report filed with the state. According to the company’s website, the offroading and motorcycle company’s Osceola facility currently produces powertrain parts.

Nike announced April 23 that it would lay off 172 workers at its Nike IHM, Inc. factory in St. Charles, Missouri, according to a WARN notice filed with the state. In an April 23 press release, Nike Inc. announced a restructuring that would see it cut jobs by 1,400 worldwide, including from its Nike Air and Converse sections. According to local news source Fox 2 now, most of the layoffs at the St. Charles site affect plastic machine operators.

Nike also plans to lay off an unspecified number of workers from its Nike IHM, Inc. factory in Beaverton, Oregon. According to local newspaper The Oregonian, the shoe company did not specify how many employees would be affected in Oregon beyond that it did not reach the threshold for a WARN report. A layoff of at least 500 workers would meet such a threshold.  

Electrolux announced it would lay of 1,200 workers in South Carolina as it plans to convert its refrigerator factory into a laundry appliance plant, according to local news source FOX Carolina. The company anticipates it will hire back 1,800 employees when it reopens to make laundry washers and dryers in 2027. The move follows Electrolux’s April 23 merger with Midea Group. Electrolux reportedly offered laid-off workers severance pay and the right to a new job at the repurposed plant once it starts production again.

Gerresheimer Moulded Glass Chicago, Inc. announced April 13 that it would close down its Chicago Heights glass factory effective November 30, with layoffs for all 172 employees beginning the last day of September, according to a WARN notice filed with the state of Illinois. The closure follows an August 2025 announcement the German company Gerresheimer Group would seek to spin its glass business off from its pharmaceutical and biotech supply operations.