The loss of a factory can have significant economic impact on the town in which it sits. Workers may need to be retrained or consider relocation. This edition of Factory Fallout includes the closure of a century-old gypsum plant, a window and door manufacturer and more.  

Showcase Window and Door, a manufacturer of custom windows, doors and hurricane-impact products, plans to permanently close its Missouri City, Texas, facility on Sept. 21. The decision will impact 61 employees, according to the Houston Business Journal. Most of the affected workers will be in assembly, along with employees in accounting, management, supervision, driving and outside sales. 

Novanta, a medical technology company serving healthcare, life sciences and advanced manufacturing, is laying off 49 employees at its Cicero, N.Y., facility as it moves manufacturing operations to other locations and contract partners, according to Syracuse.com. About 30 non-manufacturing employees are expected to remain at the site. Layoffs will begin on March 31, 2027.

U.S. Gypsum plans to close its Southard, Okla., gypsum manufacturing plant in November, ending operations at a facility that has operated for more than a century, according to the Southwest Ledger. The closure is expected to affect 250 employees, with state and local agencies preparing workforce resources for displaced workers. The closure announcement was reported on July 17, with the plant expected to close in November. The operation is closing because of the increasing cost and complexity of the specialized products made there, U.S. Gypsum told the Southwest Ledger.

Carrier Forest Products plans to indefinitely curtail production at its Big River, Saskatchewan, sawmill beginning Oct. 16, affecting approximately 117 employees. The sawmill produces lumber as part of the forestry industry. Limited activity will continue until the end of January 2027 while the company reviews whether operations can eventually resume, according to the Leader-Post. The announcement was made July 16, with the company citing weak market conditions, a declining Canadian dollar, higher cross-border financing costs and reduced timber availability following wildfires. 

Ineos Styrolution plans to permanently close its polystyrene production site in Channahon, Ill. in the fourth quarter of 2026. The site employed about 100 people. Production will continue at Ineos’ Decatur, Al., and Altamira, Mexico, facilities, the company said in a June press release. Ineos Styrolution announced the closure June 18, 2026, citing market conditions, industry oversupply, margin pressures, the site's cost structure and underutilization.