POTTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A chemical plant along the Ohio River in Beaver County will lay off 140 workers when it closes at the start of the new year.
Styropek notified the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice this week that 140 employees would lose their jobs starting on Jan. 3, 2025.
“I’m very sad to hear that,” said Larry Zahn of Hopewell “We need those jobs and to see them leave is very disappointing.”
The plant is located on Frankfort Road in Potter Township , about a mile away from the Shell cracker plant.
The devastating blow comes as shock to some.
“I think it’s horrible,” said community member Kristy Taylor. “Everybody relies on working, jobs and the economy is horrible right now.”
If you have any styrofoam cups or coolers at home, chances are the material was made at the manufacturing plant. Styropek makes beads that go into styrofoam products, such as cups, containers and packing materials.
The chemical company bought the decades-old plant in 2020 with plans to make improvements but says it couldn’t meet market demands.
“We’re still having a hard time bouncing back from COVID, so it’s going to be very, very hard,” Taylor said.
Others are staying optimistic and are hoping another manufacturer will breathe new life in the area.
“We’ve seen a number of plants leave and shut down around here but hopefully something new will come in,” Zahn said.
The plant will stop production starting Jan. 3, 2025, and will permanently close in 2026.
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