According to multiple sources including the Nashville Business Journal, Smurfit Westrock is preparing to shut down its folding-carton plant in Lebanon, Tennessee, a move that will cost about 52 employees their jobs. The closure will mark the latest in a string of plant shutdowns and workforce cutbacks at the global packaging giant.
The Lebanon facility at 302 Hartmann Drive is a folding-carton plant that produces printed paperboard and retail packaging. Industry reports indicate the Lebanon shutdown is part of a wider consolidation push as Smurfit Westrock trims capacity and shifts production to larger or more modern facilities. As reported by Packaging Dive, company leaders have described similar closures as “ongoing optimization,” with production reassigned to other plants in the network.
If Smurfit Westrock files a formal closure or WARN notice with state officials, Tennessee’s Rapid Response program would typically step in to coordinate unemployment information, job training referrals and reemployment services through regional workforce boards. According to the Tennessee Department of Labor, Rapid Response is the state’s system for quickly assisting workers after plant closures and mass layoffs.
Visit: www.smurfitwestrock.com.
