Ardagh to lay off 316 employees as Illinois facility shuts down

USA – Ardagh Glass Packaging (AGP) has announced the closure of its Chicago, Illinois manufacturing facility, with layoffs set to begin on May 1, 2025.

The shutdown of the Dolton-based plant, near the Indiana border, will impact 316 employees.

AGP assured customers that it will continue to meet demand by leveraging its remaining U.S. facilities.

“Ardagh Glass Packaging-North America remains focused on enhancing its overall performance while aligning its supply of high-quality, sustainable glass packaging with the demand from the food and beverage markets,” the company stated in a notice filed with the state of Illinois.

The decision to shut the plant stems from shifting market conditions, according to Packaging Dive, which cited an emailed statement from AGP.

This closure is part of a broader restructuring effort by the company, following multiple shutdowns in 2024, including a Seattle-based glass production facility that catered to wine customers. That plant was permanently closed in November after an earlier temporary shutdown.

AGP operates 37 facilities across North America, Europe, and Africa, employing around 14,000 people. Its U.S. plants incorporate advanced inspection and monitoring systems to ensure high-quality, recyclable glass packaging.

The company supplies major American brewers as well as craft breweries, offering 17 color options for glass bottles and innovative packaging solutions for brand differentiation.

Industry-wide shifts in packaging

Ardagh’s move comes amid a wave of facility closures in the packaging sector. Recently, Greif Inc. announced plans to shut down a paperboard machine in Georgia and close a containerboard mill in Massachusetts, citing rising costs and declining demand.

By March 2025, Greif will cease production on its No. 1 paperboard machine (A1) at its Austell, Georgia facility, while by May, it will shut down its containerboard and URB mill in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

These closures will result in 140 job losses and reduce Greif’s production capacity by 100,000 tons of containerboard and 90,000 tonnes of uncoated recycled board (URB).

Despite these industry challenges, companies like AGP and Greif continue to adjust their operations to maintain efficiency and align production with evolving market demands.

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