Factory fallout: Manufacturing plant closures and layoffs from Globe Motors, Alpek Polyester, Greif, 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 WeAreGreenBay.com, McDonald Plastic Molding, Inc., a Wisconsin-based manufacturer, will close its Poynette facility by December 31, 2025, resulting in the layoff of 28 employees. The company cited a consolidation of operations at its Darlington location as the reason for the closure. Layoffs will occur between June 27 and the end of the year, and affected employees, who are not unionized, will not have bumping rights. Employees have been encouraged to apply for positions at the company’s other facilities in Cuba City, Darlington, and Monroe. 
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Greif announced it will permanently close its paperboard mill in Los Angeles, California, by June 2025, as part of its ongoing optimization efforts. The closure will impact approximately 72 employees and eliminate 50,000 tons of coated recycled paperboard (CRB) and 22,000 tons of uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) capacity, ending Greif’s coated paperboard production on the West Coast. In a recent quote, President and CEO Ole Rosgaard said, “Closing this facility was not an easy decision, especially knowing the effect it has on our team members, their families, and the surrounding community. I want to sincerely thank our Los Angeles colleagues for their hard work and commitment over the years. As we move forward, our focus is on providing meaningful support, including severance benefits and career transition resources, to help them through this change.” 
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According to AL.com, Globe Motors, a manufacturer of precision, subfractional horsepower motors and motorized devices, will lay off approximately 73 workers at its plant on Napier Field Road in Dothan, Alabama. The layoffs are scheduled to begin on July 25, 2025, and will affect nearly half of the plant’s workforce of about 160 employees. 
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According to the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal, Alpek Polyester USA, a producer of PET resin and rPET flake, will permanently close its Cedar Creek facility in Fayetteville, North Carolina, by July 31, 2025. The closure will result in the layoff of 180 non-unionized employees, with no bumping rights, according to a WARN Notice filed with the North Carolina Department of Commerce. In a recent quote, the company stated, “We regret the business circumstances that have made this decision necessary. We are interested in working with the Employment Security Commission to make available any transition services offered by the ECS.” This marks Alpek’s second plant closure in six months, following the shutdown of its Styropek facility in Monaca, Pennsylvania, in November 2024. 
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According to The Oregonian, Hood Packaging, a producer of paper bags for products such as animal feed, pet litter, and coffee beans, will close its plant in Vancouver, Washington, resulting in 94 layoffs. The company submitted a “notice of suspension of operations” to Washington state officials, with layoffs scheduled to begin on August 1. Hood has not disclosed the reason for the closure. 
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