Packaging Corporation of America plans to close its Middletown packaging plant at 1824 Baltimore Street, a move expected to eliminate 91 jobs, according to a notice filed Thursday with the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services. WLWT reported the plant is set to close this fall, with the final workday for employees on Dec. 1 and the company intending to vacate the building by the end of the year.
The company told Middletown’s mayor and Butler County commissioners that the decision is part of consolidating into larger, more efficient operations elsewhere. It pointed to a new $275 million plant that opened outside Columbus this summer. In the notice, PCA said it would work with state and local officials, including Job & Family Services, on dislocated worker assistance, and would help employees interested in transferring to another PCA location with openings. The company also described the closure as a difficult business decision and said it did not reflect on workers’ dedication.
The layoffs arrive amid broader Ohio job losses. WLWT cited a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report showing roughly 23,500 fewer jobs in the state than in October 2024. The report also noted a truck manufacturing plant in Springfield shut down this week, with nearly 1,400 layoffs, while Ohio’s unemployment rate has fallen over the same period and stood at 3.3%, a recent historic low.