Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Kimble Glass Inc. will close its Warsaw facility effective June 2.
The announcement was made Thursday by Gerresheimer Glass Packaging, which completed the purchase of Kimble Glass Inc. from Owens-Illinois in 1997. The Warsaw plant employs approximately 115 workers and makes products for pharmaceutical packaging applications.
Richard Hasenauer, vice president and director, human relations, said, "Due to market softness in demand for vials and ampules, our capacity became higher than our demand. That, coupled with immense price pressure in our pharma marketplace forced us to evaluate all our facilities. Various criteria were measured prior to making the decision to close the Warsaw plant."
All employees will be eligible for additional training in preparation for the plant closing. Hasenauer said, "In August 2004, the plant was approved to receive Trade Act assistance for employees being laid off. That assistance was for a period of two years. We are in the process of working with the state to determine the agency to provide the training."
Hasenauer also said the notification requirements for state and city (60 days) and the union, United Steelworkers, (90 days) have been met.
Kimble Glass was started in 1901 in Chicago by Col. Ewan Kimble to produce vials. In 1946, Owens-Illinois Glass Co. acquired the assets of Kimble Glass Inc., which became a wholly-owned subsidiary. In 1947, the Warsaw Kimble Glass plant was established at 765 W. Market St. A new facility was constructed in 1969 on a 20-acre site in Boggs Industrial Park.
Kimble Glass Inc., headquartered in Vineland, N.J., operates five other manufacturing operations throughout the United States and employs approximately 1,400 in the U.S. Gerresheimer Glass Packaging of Dusseldorf, Germany, is an international designer and manufacturer of glass and plastic packaging that employs 7,400 people worldwide.
