Lake Forest-based Solo Cup to close three plants

Lake Forest-based Solo Cup Company announced that it will close its Owings Mills, Md., North Andover, Mass., and Springfield, Mo. manufacturing facilities due to improved production efficiency across its 10 other North American manufacturing plants.

The plant closings eventually will result in the elimination of approximately 540 full-time manufacturing positions in Owings Mills, 360 in North Andover and 340 in Springfield. Production volume and certain manufacturing assets will be distributed across Solo's other facilities, including two in Illinois, while other less efficient assets will be retired.

"We have invested approximately $150 million over the past two years to upgrade our manufacturing assets and increase the efficiency of our operations. As a result, we are now able to be more productive within a smaller manufacturing footprint," said George Chappelle, chief operating officer, Solo Cup Company. "Continuous improvement is critical to remaining competitive and to positioning the company for growth, especially as the market for our products has contracted in the difficult economy."

Solo Cup Company is a $1.5 billion company exclusively focused on the manufacture of single-use products used to serve food and beverages for the consumer/retail, food service and international markets. Solo has broad product offerings available in paper, plastic, foam, post-consumer recycled content and annually renewable materials, and creates brand name products under the Solo, Sweetheart and Bare by Solo names. The company was established in 1936 and has a global presence with facilities in Canada, Europe, Mexico, Panama and the United States.