Duro is closing Hudson, Wis., plant; 63 jobs will be lost

HUDSON, Wis. — Duro Bag Manufacturing Company will close its facility here in mid-October and lay off 63 workers, according to Tim Young, the parent company’s vice president of human resources.

Young could not be reached by phone Tuesday or Wednesday, but informed the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Excellence of the plant closing in an e-mail dated Monday.

Young said Kentucky-based Duro is “consolidating its manufacturing operations resulting in the closing of our Hudson (plant).” He said the plan is to close the plant Oct. 22. Employees were told of the decision Monday.

“Our greatest concern is for our associates at the Hudson facility along with the community (which) has served as a great partner to us since 1976,” wrote Young.

He said employees are being offered severance pay based on years of service, company contribution to continued health care benefits under COBRA, job search assistance and consideration for placement at another Duro facility with relocation assistance.

The jobs being eliminated include the plant manager, supervisors, 20 “bag catchers” and other manufacturing workers.

Just three weeks ago, Duro announced it will expand capacity at its Florence plant and add about 130 jobs in the next few years, according to the Business Courier of Cincinnati.

Duro will invest up to $2.5 million in new production and packaging equipment and building improvements at the Florence location. The state of Kentucky gave preliminary approval for up to $1 million in tax incentives over 10 years. The incentives are tied to the creation of the new jobs.

The Hudson plant currently has about 160,000 square-feet of manufacturing space.

St. Croix County land records indicate Duro Standard Products owns four parcels in the town of Hudson totaling just over 70 acres.

Assessed parcels include land valued at $442,800 and improvements totaling $25,404,000. Last year the company paid $36,801 in taxes on the various parcels.

Duro, headquartered in Florence, Ky., manufactures paper bags for department store, grocery chains and mass merchant retailers in North America.

Its divisions produce grocery bags and sacks; handle, merchandise, paper, lawn, and leaf bags; various specialty bags for lunch, pharmacy, liquor, bread and food service; and machine-made “designer” shopping bags.

The company was founded in 1953 by S. David Shor and is still privately owned by the Shor family, according to the company’s website.

The website says the company has over 2,500 employees working at 12 manufacturing facilities.

Apart from the Hudson and Florence facilities, Duro has plants in Walton, Ky.; Alsip, Ill.; Progreso, Texas; Richmond, Va.; Jackson, Tenn.; Covington, Ky.; Brownsville, Texas; Elizabeth, N.J.; Tollseon, Ariz.; and Yulee, Fla.

Doug Stohlberg and Judy Wiff are reporters at the Hudson (Wis.) Star-Observer, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

Tags: daily updates, us business, news, wisconsin, region, national, jobs, economy