Wisconsin Faces Job Loss as Two Major Plants Shut Down

Wisconsin Gets a Double Whammy

In the latest edition of "Corporate Strategies Impact Small Towns," two companies are bidding farewell to their Wisconsin facilities. Silgan Containers and Truvant North America have announced plant closures that are rolling through the streets of Oconomowoc and Prairie du Chien like a sudden snowstorm in April. The moves will leave about 100 employees searching for their next gig. Let's dive into the voodoo economics of plant closures and steel tariffs, shall we?

Silver Linings, Silgan Style

Silgan Containers, hailing from the sunny state of California, decided to turn off the lights at their Oconomowoc facility, which will affect 56 workers. In a bid to keep things running smoothly (until they don’t), the plant plans to operate on life-support—erm, "limited production" until August. The decision comes as the company and other tin can aficionados plead with policymakers to reconsider those pesky tariffs on steel.

Steely-eyed data fans, here’s your fix: When President Trump played the tariff tune in 2018, the steel and aluminum ballad increased fees on imports by 25%. Silgan and its band of merry manufacturers would prefer a different playlist. They import a whopping 70% of the steel needed to encase their tasty tin treasures, serving 330 million hungry Americans.

No word yet from Silgan on how they plan to compensate for the losses or whether those 46 hourly and 10 salaried workers will have to find new-label gigs. What we do know is that other facilities in the state's southeast will absorb the production. The plant may be down, but the production beat goes on.

Truvant Takes a Tumble

Meanwhile, Truvant North America is exporting some serious blues to Prairie du Chien. With a pink slip hierarchy that might make you wince, Truvant is closing their facility, stranding 44 of 74 employees. A sliver of a silver lining: 30 folks snagged transfers to other outposts, with commutes ranging from a measly 4 miles to an eye-rolling 30.

For those keeping score on Wisconsin's job board, stats suggest mixed local prospects. With a statewide unemployment rate at a decent 3.3%, our soon-to-be-out-of-work friends in Oconomowoc are looking at a local rate of 2.9%. Prairie du Chien folks, not as sunny—Crawford County’s running at 4%.

Truvant, which chose not to comment, has the luxury of a presumably warmer HQ in North Carolina to consider their next move while Wisconsinites brace themselves against both the elements and the economic shifts.

Whether this corporate shuffle will trigger further policy debates or settlement adjustments, one thing's for sure: The Nick Cave-worthy "Corporate Shutdown Blues" plays on.

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