WestRock To Close Packaging Plant In Seattle, 87 Impacted
plant. The union said they could not respond to questions or give a comment. WestRock and the union will engage in the effects bargaining process. WestRock announced last September that it would merge with the packaging company Smurfit Kappa. The fourth quarter earnings presentation for WestRock showed growth for the company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization throughout the 2023 fiscal year, with a slight decrease in the fourth quarter. The company laid off 400 employees in Tacoma when the WestRock paper mill there closed. Johnson said he didn't know how many of those employees were relocated to positions at the Longview plant.
Months after a century-old paper mill owned by WestRock closed in Tacoma, Washington, the company is closing a packaging plant in Seattle. According to local media re- ports, about 87 employees at the Seattle plant will lose their jobs March, when the plant officially closes. The com- pany notified the Washington State Employment Security Department of the layoffs on January 19. Both closures come after a WestRock's new packaging plant in Longview, Washington, opened last year. Robby Johnson, Senior Manager of Corporate Commu- nications for WestRock, said, the company is closing the Seattle plant because the upgrades made at the Longview plant mean it is better equipped. “The Longview facility is state-of-the-art and provides significant capabilities that allow us to more effectively and efficiently serve our cus- tomers in the Pacific Northwest,” Johnson wrote, adding that the company decided to close the Seattle plant more than a year after it announced the opening of the new Longview plant According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, which regulates activities with potential environ- mental impacts at the plant, the Longview plant has about 1,000 employees. The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Union represents employees at the Seattle
Hood Container Adds Clark As SVP Converting Division
Hood Container Corporation reported that Alan Clark has joined the company in the role of Senior Vice President, Converting Division. In this role, Clark will work to advance efforts in improving company culture, sales, operational performance, and profitability while leading a group of ex- perienced leaders. He has more than 30 years manufac- turing, containerboard, and corrugated packaging experi- ence, having previously served as CEO of Jackson Paper Corporation. Prior to that, Clark held various leadership positions with Harper Love, IP, and McKinsey & Company.
Do you need printed sheets? We have your answer.. Introducing Heartland’s ColorCorr. This is “flexo-printing in the round”. On our corrugator we can print up to 109” wide. The advantage is that we can print the equivalent of ½ roll at a time and not be required to keep several rolls of very expensive preprinted paper on the floor. Much less waste and risk. In continual print mode, we use either laser-engraved rubber rolls or solid rubber rolls to print a “flood coat” or a repeating pattern. If we are printing a repeating pattern, we can run a two-color design on the paper. Customers have found that running sheets we print can allow them to run a lighter-grade due to reduced caliper loss, and in some cases eliminate one or more machine passes.
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12 February 5, 2024
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