O-I Glass plans layoffs, plant closures

Perrysburg-based O-I Glass plans to lay off an unspecified number of employees as part of a restructuring program that will see an undetermined number of plants based in the Americas close.

One of the plants to be closed is located in Streator, Ill. The Perrysburg Innovation Center at O-I’s headquarters is also slated to be idled.

The news comes less than two weeks before the company will release its third-quarter financial report. O-I has been signaling that it faces a significant retrenchment as it struggles to maintain its glass container sales.

In an email to employees from Tim Connors, the managing director of the company’s Americas North division, the company stated, “As part of our Fit to Win initiative, we have made the difficult decision to restructure the Americas North business, impacting multiple departments outside the plants. These decisions were not made lightly and we will provide transition support to our impacted team members.”

The email went on to say, “To those who are leaving us, we express our gratitude for your hard work and dedication, some over many years — you will always be an important part of O-I’s legacy.”

The announced restructuring takes place against a backdrop of declining sales of glass bottles in the spirits sector — an important source of O-I’s glass container sales. 

First Published October 23, 2024, 5:40 a.m.