Plaskolite to Lay Off 90 Workers at Massachusetts Facility

Ohio-based plastics manufacturer Plaskolite said it will lay off 90 workers at its Massachusetts facility between spring 2025 and spring 2026 as it prepares to close the plant.

Sheffield Plastics, purchased by Plaskolite in 2018, began operations in 1949. The facility evolved from producing hula hoops, fly swatters, and fluorescent lighting panels in the 1950s to protective barriers and face visors made of polycarbonate sheet during the COVID pandemic in 2020. The round-the-clock plant has also produced items as disparate as vending machine fronts and fighter jet canopies.

High state electricity costs, inflation, increasing expenses, necessary building upgrades, and difficulty attracting skilled factory workers are driving the shutdown, according to a statement from Plaskolite and plant manager Tim Ryan emailed to the Berkshire Eagle newspaper.

Sheffield is one of Plaskolite’s 18 factories worldwide. All 96 employees at the site have been given the option of relocating to Ohio plants in Columbus or Zanesville, and the company said it is working with state and county officials to provide job assistance.

“Relocating our production is a necessary step to ensure we continue to deliver upon our high standards for product quality and employee safety, meet the evolving needs of our customers, and grow our polycarbonates business,” Plaskolite’s statement explained. 

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Layoffs will occur in phases, the company said, while equipment removal is set to begin in the first quarter of 2025.