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. As uncertainty becomes the new normal, we examine how businesses and workers alike are navigating a rapidly changing industrial landscape. 

According to The Bellingham Herald, Alpha Technologies Services, which manufactures commercial energy equipment, and is owned by EnerSys, will permanently close its operations unit in Bellingham on Oct. 15 and lay off 75 employees beginning Aug. 31. Manufacturing and assembly operations will be transferred to the company's facility in Suwanee, Georgia. Affected employees include assemblers, machine operators, engineers, and technicians. In a recent quote, Lisa Hartman, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications at EnerSys, said, the closure is “part of a broader effort to optimize our global manufacturing footprint and position the business for long-term success.”

According to News On 6, PepsiCo, which manufactures and bottles beverages, has filed a WARN notice for permanent layoffs affecting all 184 warehouse employees at its Tulsa, Oklahoma, bottling facility, with separations expected to begin on or about Nov. 15. The remainder of the production facility will continue operating, and the company said it is working to place affected employees in other positions within the Tulsa site or nearby facilities.

According to Dairy Herd, Prairie Farms Dairy, which manufactures dairy products and cheese, is closing its Shullsburg Creamery and White Hill Cheese facilities in Shullsburg, Wisconsin, eliminating 97 jobs—43 at the creamery and 54 at the cheese plant. The Shullsburg Creamery closed immediately, while White Hill Cheese is scheduled to close Aug. 14, although skeleton crews will remain temporarily to oversee the shutdown. In a recent quote, Matt McClelland, CEO of Prairie Farms, said, “While these decisions are difficult, they are necessary to strengthen Prairie Farms for the future. Our immediate focus is supporting our employees through this transition.”

According to Motor1, Porsche, which manufactures luxury sports cars and SUVs, plans to eliminate an additional 5,000 jobs by 2035, bringing its total planned workforce reduction to roughly 9,000 positions when combined with previously announced layoffs. Porsche’s workforce has already shrunk from 42,615 employees in 2024 to 41,780 last year. In a recent quote, Porsche said, “The package also includes the socially responsible reduction of a further 5,000 jobs by 2035. This will be achieved primarily through natural attrition, demographic effects, the expansion of the special partial retirement program and voluntary severance agreements.”