Proctor and Gamble to shut Brockville plant, 480 jobs lost
BROCKVILLE — Nearly 500 jobs will be lost within three years after Procter and Gamble announced Thursday it will close its Brockville operations as early as 2020.
Employees of the Brockville site were informed of the company’s decision at a meeting early this morning.
The decision comes as a result of what P&G described as a “North American Supply Network Design” that will relocate remaining production of Bounce and Swiffer products manufactured in Brockville to a new site in West Virginia.
The transitions are planned to be complete by early 2020 and will result in the permanent closure of the Brockville site by late 2020 or early 2021, the company said in a statement.
The city plant employs 480 people.
While this was a difficult decision for the company, the overall redesign efforts will help P&G transform the way it goes to market and revolutionize the way it sources, manufactures and produces across North America,” the statement read.
Jeff LeRoy, a P&G company communications spokesman, said the decision to close production in Brockville was “difficult” and is not a reflection of the city or the employees of the site. He said the company will try to accommodate local employees who are willing to relocate.
“Again, it’s important to recognize this announcement is three to four years in advance,” said LeRoy. “We are working hard so that we can find another position for as many employees as possible within P&G if they are willing to relocate.
“There are no guarantees and we can make no promises, but this is the goal we have,” he said, adding the company is “exploring many options,” including employee transfers to a P&G facility in Belleville which is anticipated to have opportunities available in coming years.
For Brockville Mayor David Henderson, the news was not entirely unexpected.
“Everybody has been on the edge of their seats for some time, waiting for that West Virginia plant to be fully up and running,” said the mayor.
“When it actually happens, it’s brutal.”