POTTSVILLE - Rubbermaid Commercial Products is closing its doors and about 100 people will lose their jobs.
Newell Rubbermaid announced Wednesday it intends to close the Pottsville facility by September 2015.
"I want to clarify that we are only announcing our intention and that we're meeting with the union representing our employees to discuss our strategy," Hannah Van Malssen, a company spokesperson, said Wednesday.
Based in Atlanta, Newell Rubbermaid is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products and is the parent company for many well-known brands, including Rubbermaid food storage, Sharpie marker pens, Graco children's products, Irwin professional tools and Paper Mate pens.
The Pottsville site is located at the former United Metal Receptacle building at 1410 Laurel Boulevard. The company acquired the facility in 2007 for waste metal fabrication. Van Malssen did not know how long people will be employed at the facility.
"Right now, it's too early to say given that we're meeting with union representatives," she said. "These details will be subject to those discussions."
Van Malssen said the company is consolidating the production at the facility with recently expanded operations in Winchester, Va.
"Our Pottsville facility is the legacy of an acquisition made in 2007 and lacks the capacity to incorporate the new technology necessary for our growth," Van Malssen said. "Due to the evolution of our product offering, changes in manufacturing processes and the distance of Pottsville from our other operations, it no longer makes sense to operate a separate facility for metal fabrication. This is a necessary step to ensure we can continue to compete effectively in a global economy while continuing to offer high-quality products made in the USA."
Staff at the Pottsville location includes office and machine workers. The company does not disclose employee salary.