After nearly 80 years of operating, Tupperware is shutting down its very last US factory. The plant is located in South Carolina. The storage brand laying off nearly 150 employees. News of this comes from a WARN notice dated June 11.
Founded back in 1946, in Leominster, Massachusetts, Tupperware still maintains operating locations in Mexico, Portugal, Brazil, Belgium, China, India, and South Africa. With the South Carolina closure, operations shall relocate to Mexico.
Tupperware is closing its last US factory and laying off over a hundred employees
148 people will be losing their job as Tupperware announces the closure of its Hemingway, South Carolina factory. The last factory’s closure takes effect in January 2025. However, layoffs will start as soon as September of this year.
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Tupperware sold the factory and will instead operate out of Lerma, Mexico. The decision to close their one US factory is, according to the kitchen supply company, not a condemnation of the location’s productivity.
“It’s important to note this decision is not a reflection of the performance of the Hemingway team,” the company assured in a statement. “We appreciate each of our valued team members and the many years of service they have dedicated to our salesforce and to the Company.”
The future of Tupperware
“Tupperware has always been a business focused on people,” said a spokesperson for Tupperware, “so we will take important steps to take care of our Hemingway team during this transition by offering early retirement and severance packages to eligible employees, providing outplacement services and working with other businesses on a job fair for potential employment opportunities.”
Tupperware has had a turbulent last several months. Last year, it expressed “substantial doubt” that it would even stay in business. Eventually, the New York Stock Exchange warned that Tupperware stock was in danger of no longer being listed. The company recruited financial advisors to stabilize its capital and financing.
“The Company is doing everything in its power to mitigate the impacts of recent events,” said Miguel Fernandez, back when he was Tupperware Brands CEO, concerning the company’s plans to turn things around, “and we are taking immediate action to seek additional financing and address our financial position.”
