Owens-Illinois Glass, a global glass bottle manufacturing leader, is closing its Waco facility. Production will cease in mid-October, with the official closure scheduled for December 1 of this year.
The closure affects around 300 employees, including some who were laid off earlier this year. The Waco plant, in operation since 1944, has been a vital part of Waco’s local economy.
In anticipation of the closure, O-I Glass is expecting to record a charge of around $60 million in the third quarter of 2023 to cover the costs associated with the shutdown.
The Waco plant holds historical significance as the pioneering site for the production of Spectra Glas, an innovative glass product that has been instrumental in the company's success.
Waco Mayor Dillon Meek says that while he is disheartened by the closure, he has been working closely with Heart of Texas Workforce Solutions to find ways to support the employees impacted by the closure.
DILLON MEEK: “So when we learned about the closure, I was able to communicate really quickly with the Heart of Texas Workforce Solutions Director, Anthony Billings, and some of his key leadership has already reached out to Owens-Illinois to figure out how to connect the families and individuals who are being laid off to good, financially secure, existing and open jobs in Waco.”
Mayor Meek is also optimistic about Waco’s economy, and is confident that those laid off from O-I Glass will reintegrate into other local industries.
DILLON MEEK: “I’m really thankful for where we are as an economy right now. I’m obviously saddened by this news but I think the good news, the silver lining, is that we’ve worked really hard to build a strong economy in Waco. Right now we’ve got over 1,600 vacant jobs in the economy and since 2019 we’ve brought over 4,000 jobs into Waco that are well paying, financially secure jobs. So my hope is that we’ll be able to work strategically to connect these families to well paying jobs that are currently vacant in the community.”
Despite the Waco facility's closure, O-I Glass has stated that they remain committed to promoting sustainability in the glass industry.
DILLON MEEK: “These things happen that are beyond our control. I’m just grateful that our team has worked hard to build a strong economy where we can help place these individuals into good, financially secure jobs.”
For 103.3 Waco Public Radio, I’m Autumn Jones.