Officials with Anchor Hocking Co. announced 31 January 2008 that the glassware firm plans to close a recently acquired manufacturing plant at Sapulpa, Oklahoma, which specializes in tableware.
A spok…
Officials with Anchor Hocking Co. announced 31 January 2008 that the glassware firm plans to close a recently acquired manufacturing plant at Sapulpa, Oklahoma, which specializes in tableware. A spokesman for the Lancaster, Ohio-based company said the plan is to consolidate all of its manufacturing and distribution operations to facilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Spokesman Dace de la Foret said about 425 workers in Sapulpa will be affected, including about 50 at a distribution center. He said the closing of the plant will be carried out in two phases beginning in April 2008. Production is expected to stop by June. Workers will have the opportunity to relocate to other Anchor Hocking plants and distribution centers. “We know this presents a hardship for employees, their families and the people of this community”, Mark Eichhorn, president and CEO of Anchor Hocking, said in a statement. “We want to assure everyone affected that this decision-making process was not an easy one, and that this plan to consolidate manufacturing and distribution operations was made after careful consideration of all viable alternatives”. Betty Calley, executive director of the Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce, said senior managers at the Sapulpa plant might be interested in relocating to other facilities, but that the majority of production workers will probably want to remain in the area. She said she was uncertain of the economic impact of layoffs, but local officials are prepared to help workers who want to remain in the community. The plant dates back to 1914. It was founded by H.U. Bartlett and George F. Collins, according to information provided by the chamber. For much of its existence, the plant was known as Bartlett-Collins Co. In recent years, it has had several different owners, with Anchor Hocking purchasing the facility in November 2007.