WestRock to lay off 130 people at St. Paul cardboard plant
St. Paul artist Erik Pearson provided this photo of the interior of the WestRock paper recycling facility in the city's Midway area. (Courtesy photo/file)
In a statement on their website, WestRock, a recycler and manufacturer of paper products, announced the permanent closure of “corrugated medium manufacturing” operations in St. Paul.
WestRock says that approximately 130 jobs will be eliminated as a result of the closure.
The company said equipment at the facility needed “significant capital investment” and that WestRock is “committed to improving its return on invested capital as well as maximizing the performance of its assets.”
CEO David Sewell said “shutting down operations and impacting the lives of our employees is a difficult decision to make.”
Operations are expected to cease in early November.
The company says that production of coated recycled board will continue at the St. Paul facility.
The full release from WestRock can be read here.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has reached out to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) for more information. A DEED spokesperson responded, saying the department has not received anything official from WestRock.