SALEM, NJ—Ardagh Glass says it will close its manufacturing plant here in the fall. The closure will mean the loss of 290 jobs and the end of glassmaking in Salem.
The firm, which has a history of 150 years in Salem City, will cease operations at the plant on Oct. 15, according to the South Jersey Times.
"While this is certainly a difficult day for the Salem facility and its employees, the company remains firmly committed to ensuring the long-term competitiveness of its glass container business," said John Riordan, president and CEO of Ardagh Group, Glass-North America. "Our company will continue to focus on making the changes required to ensure our lasting success, as we continuously enhance our ability to meet our customers' demand for high-quality, cost-competitive glass packaging."
The company blamed the "loss of significant business at the facility" for its decision to close, however, a report in the Star-Ledger states that the closure might have been caused by the loss of a bottling contract with Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.
Salem Mayor Charles Washington Jr. said, "This dialogue with Ardagh will continue and we will do everything possible to reverse this situation and to minimize its impact. Salem's revitalization effort will continue to march forward even as we deal with this potential loss." See story in the South Jersey Times.
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