Middletown packing plant set to close; dozens of layoffs plannedMIDDLETOWN, Ohio — A Middletown packaging plant will close this fall, with dozens of layoffs planned. According to a notice filed Thursday with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 91 workers are expected to lose their jobs due to the closure of the Packaging Corporation of America plant at 1824 Baltimore Street. In the letter, addressed to the mayor of Middletown and Butler County commissioners, Packaging Corporation of America says the decision has been made to consolidate the company into “larger, more efficient operations” elsewhere. According to the company, this includes a new $275 million plant that recently opened outside of Columbus this summer. “PCA will work with you and all other state and local government officials, including the Department of Job and Family Services, to provide displaced worker assistance to affected employees,” the letter said. “We will also assist affected employees who may be interested in transferring to another PCA location with open positions.” The last day for workers at the plant will be December 1. The company then plans to completely vacate the building by the end of the year. “This was a difficult business decision; it is in no way a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our valued employees,” the letter concludes. The layoffs come as a recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the state of Ohio has been steadily shedding jobs for about two years, with about 23,500 fewer jobs currently existing than there were in October 2024 statewide. Most recently, this included a truck manufacturing plant in Springfield that closed this week, leading to nearly 1,400 layoffs. Despite this, Ohio’s unemployment rate (defined as people actively looking for work but unable to find it) dropped significantly during that same period. It currently stands at 3.3%, a record low that is the result of a steady downward trend since unemployment peaked at 16.5% during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
