Arizona
• In March 2023, Westfall Technik, a global plastics manufacturing company, announced it would close two of its plants in Tempe.
o The plant closures resulted in 114 workers being laid off.
• In 2023, several of Arizona’s coal-fired power plants owned by Tri-State Generation and Transmission and Tucson Electric Power announced they were shutting down due to the Biden Administration’s anti-worker EPA rules which were introduced in May 2023 and finalized in April 2024.
o The rules resulted in the shutdown of many coal-firedpower plants across the nation, which power approximately 20% of America’s electricity.
o Larry Behrens, Power the Future: "Climate elitists are never more happy than when they’re destroying energy jobs and making it impossible for working families to get by, so it’s no surprise they’re celebrating,” he told The Center Square. “What advocates laughably call ‘clean energy’ is failing on a massive scale and often leaving taxpayers and ratepayers to holding the bag. Shutting down reliable power that has worked for decades to replace it with inferior Chinese-made energy products is a tragedy, not cause for celebration.””
• On top of this, the Arizona Corporation Commission—a state-government run organization which ensures that residents have access to reliable and safe utility services—has slashed financial assistance for the Navajo Nation and many other indigenous tribes who suffered job loss as a result of coal plant shutdowns.
Georgia
• In February 2024, Flexsteel, a furniture manufacturing company located in Dublin, announced it would shut down.
• In March 2024, Jindall Films Americas, a manufacturer offilms for flexible packaging and labeling such as recyclable biaxially oriented polyethylene films announced it would close its LaGrange plant.
o 100 workers were laid off.
• In April 2024, 1888 Mills, one of the top home supply manufacturers in the U.S. specializing in manufacturing linen towels, announced it would no longer be producing towels domestically, and shut down.
o It was one of the few remaining linen towel manufacturers in the U.S., and employed 340 workers on the outskirts of Atlanta.
• In 2024, Caesarstone Technologies, Inc., a countertops manufacturer, plans to shut down its Richmond Hill plant.
o The move will impact 100 workers.
Indiana
• In March 2024, Tyson Foods, one of America’s and the world’s largest food manufacturing companies and second largest animal protein producer in the world, shuttered its chicken manufacturing plant located in Corydon.
o Tyson had a $64 million economic impact on Harrison County, and the plant shutting down impacts nearly 400 workers—although only nearly 200 remain.
Michigan
• In May 2024, leading coregulated box manufacturer, Georgia-Pacific, announced it would shut down its Milan plant and that all employees would be laid off by July 2024.
o The decision apparently came down to "economics” and the ability for the company to be competitive long term.
• In March 2024, National Standard, a leading wire manufacturer, shut down its plant in the Niles area.
o Larry Trussell, Owner of Trussell Complete Auto Repair: "It’s pretty upsetting, and it’s going to affect a lot of people in town…It’s scary, and it’s happening so much of the time around the country. These businesses are folding up and downsizing.”
o Jeff Rea, President and CEO of the Greater Niles Chamber: "It’s been an important fixture in our community. They’ve called Niles home for over 100 years…It’s a really sad day in town when something like this happens. We are disappointed by the decision, and especially disappointed in the lack of communication.”
• In March 2023, Dawson Manufacturing Co., an auto parts manufacturer in Benton Harbor, announced it would shut down, and laid off 90 full time employees.
o Dawson was 55% minority owned and certified as a minority business enterprise (MBE).
o Dawson was 45% owned by TrelleborgVibracoustic, a German auto parts manufacturer, which has announced assembly and production expansions in Europe and Mexico.
o Dawson’s former customers included General Motors and Ford.
• In January 2024, Graphic Packaging International LLC, a manufacturer of fiber-based consumer packaging in the Grand Rapids area, shuttered its plant and laid off over 110 employees.
o In 2022, Graphic Packaging also shut down its Battle Creek manufacturing plant, laying off 200 workers, in addition to several other plants around the country.
Nevada
• In April 2024, Tesla announced it would lay off 700 workers in Sparks in an effort to cut costs amidst the Biden-Harris Green New Scam transition.
o Tesla had been suffering from decreased sales of their electric vehicles which led to decreased profits for the company.
o Tesla also had to decrease their prices of electric vehicles by $20,000 due to slowing demand.\
• In July 2023, NV Energy announced it would convert the final existing coal-fueled plant at the North Valmy Generating Station to all natural gas, in addition to standing up a brand new solar and battery storage project as part of the state’s Green New Deal efforts.
o NV Energy also requests additional billions in taxpayer funding to building additional solar fields, two natural gas turbines, and new transmission infrastructure projects.
North Carolina
• In July 2024, United Furniture Industries, Inc., a Mississippi-based furniture manufacturer, announced it would close two production plants in Winston-Salem and High Point, impacting nearly 300 workers.
o Another United Furniture Industries plant recently shuttered in Mississippi, impacting another 220 jobs.
• In April 2024, an electronics manufacturer, East West, announced it would idle two plants in Mooresville, laying off nearly 100 workers.
o The company has existed since the 1980s, and has expanded across the United States.
• In July 2023, Snyders-Lance, a subsidiary of Campbells Soup that manufactures pretzels, chips, and other salty snacks, announced that it would shut down a major building in its manufacturing plant in Charlotte.
o Nearly 130 workers were laid off.
• In August 2023, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, a furniture manufacturer, shut down its main plant in Taylorsville and laid off over 530 employees.
o Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams manufactured furniturein Taylorsville since the 1980s, and was considered one of the largest employers in the county.
o Becky Smith, an employee at Rogers Mills, a nearby animal feed store, on the shutdown: "We all have lived here. We all know people, and so it really shocked everybody…That is what we live off of here in this county — is furniture.”
o Mitchell Gold shut down several other plants across the state including in Hiddenite and Statesville.
• In August 2023, Smithfield Foods, a meat manufacturer headquartered in Virginia, announced it would shut down its pork processing plant in Charlotte.
o Smithfield Foods is owned by Chinese-owned conglomerate WH Group.
o Livestock economist, Lee Schulz, discussed how consumers have purchased less pork due to skyrocketing inflation, while the price of feed for livestock remains high.
o This has led to the largest negative profits for U.S. pork producers since 1998.
• In January 2022, DENSO Manufacturing, an auto parts manufacturer located in Grreeneville, shut down its manufacturing plant.
o 500 workers were laid off.
• In March 2021, Krispy Kreme, popular doughnut maker, shuttered its North Carolina facility in Concord.
o As a result, 102 employees were laid off.
Minnesota
• In July 2024, Smith Foundry, a prominent iron manufacturer in Minneapolis, announced it would shut down its casting and furnace operations in August due to Biden’s oppressive air pollution rules.
o The foundry is now forced to convert only to a metal finishing facility, meaning that it will likely have to import iron from overseas, and will pay an $80,000 fine to the federal government for violating the Clean Air Act.
• In April 2023, H.B. Fuller, an adhesive manufacturer for both the construction and healthcare industries, shut downtwo manufacturing plants in Minneapolis.
o 300 workers were laid off.
o The company highlighted the lack of demand from industry and high input costs as a reason for the shutdowns.
• In May 2024, Nortech Systemsm a prominent Minnesota electronics manufacturer, announced it would shut down its manufacturing facility in Blue Earth by the end of the year.
o Over 70 workers will be laid off.
• In July 2024, Rich Products Corporation, a global food manufacturer of bakery, meat, and seafood, announced it would shutter its plant by the end of the year.
o Rich Products supplies major food companies such as Carvel, F’Real, and Byron’s Smokehouse.
o 170 workers will be laid off.
Ohio
• In May 2024, ZF Active Safety US, an electronics manufacturer located in Findlay, announced it would close its plant.
o Over 230 workers jobs will be laid off.
• In December 2023, Post Holdings, a large cereal manufacturer, will close its manufacturing facility in Lancaster by September 2024.
Pennsylvania
• In January 2024, Newbold Services LLC, a South Carolina-based company that provides janitorial, staffing, security, and other services, announced it would be closing eight different facilities in Pennsylvania.
o Nearly 300 workers will be laid off.
• In July 2023, Homer City Generating Station, Pennsylvania’s largest coal-fired power plant located an hour outside of Pittsburgh, shut down after being operational for over fifty years due to Biden’s harsh new environmental rules on nitrogen oxides.
o Over 130 workers were laid off.
o Biden’s rules made production too expensive for the plant to remain operational.
o Homer City expressed concern over Pennsylvania joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which is a twelve-state compact to set caps on greenhouse gas emissions.
o Homer City Statement: "RGGI will severely limit Homer City’s ability to plan long term and it will handcuff the business in making further investments with an uncertain regulatory future,” the statement said.
o Allegheny-Fayette County Labor Council: "It is not a victory when hundreds of in-house workers and thousands of subcontractors — a majority of whom are members of our labor council — will lose good union jobs…We recognize the need to transition to cleaner energy, but we operate in reality. The reality is that far too many working people are being left behind in that transition.”
• In April 2024, Paris Uniform Services, a supplier of uniforms, work apparel, facility services, and cleaning products, will close four locations across Pennsylvania.
o The plants that will be closing are located inHarrisburg, Bradford, Williamsport, and Dubois.
o 138 workers will be laid off.
• In September 2023, Kennametal, a machinery and materials manufacturer based in Pittsburgh, announced it would be closing three to five of its manufacturing plants in Pennsylvania over the next four years.
o The company has already closed six manufacturing plants over the past several years, including in Irwin.
• In September 2023, The Ames Corporation, a manufacturer of long-handed tools, lawn and garden products, and wheelbarrows, announced it was shuttering its plants near Camp Hill and in Harrisburg by October 2023.
o Over 180 workers were laid off.
South Carolina
• In June 2024, Tupperware announced it would shut down its last remaining manufacturing plant in the United States located in Hemingway.
o Tupperware is moving all of its production to Mexico.
o 150 workers will be laid off.
o Nearly 200 workers were laid off.
o Under stable economic conditions in May 2019 with President Trump in office, Stanley Black & Decker built a brand new 420,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Forth Worth, Texas, in an effort to bring manufacturing back to the United States.
Wisconsin
• In March 2024, Master Lock, a manufacturer of padlocks, safes, combination locks and other security products that is headquartered in Wisconsin, announced it would begin the process of closing its plant in Milwaukee starting in October.
o Nearly 400 employees will be laid off.
o United Autoworkers Region 4 Director, Brandon Campbell: "I want to be clear – UAW workers at Local 469 have done their part – they have got no more to give…"They need to concede NOTHING to this company to convince them to keep work in the USA – the company should keep work here because THIS is where their profits come from.”
• In April 2024, Jeld-Wen, a global designer, manufacturer and distributor of high-performance interior and exterior doors, windows, and related building products, announced it would close its plant in Hawkins.
• In October 2023 and January 2024, Energizer Holdings, a battery manufacturer, announced it would close both its Fennimore manufacturing facility by September 2024, and its Portage manufacturing facility in March 2024.
o Energizer plans to offshore jobs to Singapore and a non-union plant in North Carolina.
o Over 170 workers will be laid off at the Fennimore facility, and 135 workers will be laid off at the Portage facility.
Virginia
• In July 2024, Keurig Dr. Pepper, which manufactures K-Cup pods for coffee machines, announced it would shutter its Windsor facility by end of 2024.
o Nearly 400 workers will be laid off.
o The closure was so detrimental to the local economy and workers down the supply chain, for example, chicken farmers, that the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced the Central Virginia Poultry Cooperative (CVPC) to attract new business to the area and financially assist farmers impacted by the closure.
o 700 workers were laid off.
Joanna Miller is a Former White House Senior Policy Analyst and currently serves on President Trump’s 2024 Presidential Campaign
