Factory fallout: Manufacturing plant closures and layoffs from Wolfspeed, Matalco, AlaTrade Foods, 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. As uncertainty becomes the new normal, we examine how businesses and workers alike are navigating a rapidly changing industrial landscape.
According to WTVD, Wolfspeed Inc., a tech company, announced it is eliminating 180 positions company-wide, with the majority of the layoffs occurring in North Carolina. The reduction affects a portion of the company’s 4,100 global employees and is part of a broader restructuring effort. In a recent quote, a company spokesperson said, “This move is part of our previously announced focus on operational efficiencies, lower manufacturing costs and stricter cash management, as discussed on our Q2 earnings call. This supports our overall strategy to optimize our manufacturing footprint to better align with customer demand and deliver leaner, more cost-efficient operations.”
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According to the Jacksonville Daily Record, Pretium Packaging LLC, a St. Louis-based manufacturer, is permanently closing its Jacksonville, Florida, plant, resulting in the layoff of 48 employees. The company stated in a notice to state officials that the layoffs will begin on May 30 and be completed by June 30. In a recent quote, Pretium Packaging LLC said it is permanently closing its plant at 1550 Ellis Road N. No reason for the closure was provided in the announcement.
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According to the Canton Repository, Matalco, a Canadian aluminum slab producer, will close its Stark County, Ohio, plant in June, resulting in the loss of 71 jobs. The company disclosed the closure in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filed with the state. Matalco has offered some of the employees jobs at its other five U.S. plants. The company did not provide additional details about the reason for the closure.
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According to AL.com, AlaTrade Foods, a poultry processing company, is laying off 165 employees at its largest facility in Phenix City, Alabama. The layoffs began on March 27 and were officially reported to the state the following day. The layoff, which the notice said started on March 27, was reported the following day on March 28, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce website.
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According to the Ventura County Star, Milgard Windows and Doors, a major window and door manufacturer, will close its Simi Valley, California manufacturing plant, resulting in the layoff of all 397 employees. The company, one of the city's largest private-sector employers, will begin winding down operations in late May, with the full closure and layoffs completed by June 10. Milgard will start to slow down its Simi Valley operations in late May, and by June 10, it will have shut down the facility and laid off all 397 local employees.
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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