Plastics and chemicals firm Orbia Advance Corp. is closing its emulsion PVC resin plant in Pedricktown, N.J.
In an email to Plastics News, a spokesman for Mexico City-based Orbia said that the closure "is a strategic decision made in the context of global economic challenges and market dynamics."
He added that the closure "reinforces our commitment to the long-term sustainability of our business and optimization of our operations," and that the firm "is supporting all impacted employees … with comprehensive assistance and outplacement services."
"This decision, though difficult, is necessary for our future progress and ambitions to achieve a legacy of innovation and industry leadership," the spokesman said.
A Feb. 16 report from Argus Media said the plant will close by the end of the year, although some services may continue into early 2025 to meet contractual commitments with site partners, according to a letter to customers quoted in the article. The site has annual production capacity of about 130 million pounds.
Production at the Pedricktown plant will be moved to other Orbia facilities. The firm also makes emulsion PVC in Henry, Ill.; Marl, Germany; and at two locations in Mexico.
Orbia was known as Mexichem before changing its name in 2019. The firm's product lines include Vestolit PVC resin, AlphaGary PVC compounds, Wavin pipe and Dure-Line conduit.
In November, Orbia confirmed that it was building a major new PVDF resin plant in Augusta, Ga., through a joint venture with Solvay. That JV will use a grant of almost $200 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. Officials said the plant will be the largest North American production facility for materials used in electric vehicle batteries.