Richmond casket plant to close in 2019, idling 200 workers

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) - A casket manufacturer says it's closing an eastern Indiana plant next year and moving its work elsewhere.

Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions announced Friday it will close its Richmond plant and move its production of metal caskets to a plant in Aurora, Indiana, and that of cremation caskets mostly to a plant in York, Pennsylvania.

Spokeswoman Mandy Dlugos of parent company Matthews International tells the Richmond Palladium-Item "the transition will begin in early 2019" the plant will close by the end of 2019.

She said employees were notified of the decision Thursday. All have been offered separation pay and many will be offered a chance to apply for other positions.

The website for the Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County says the plant employs 200 workers.

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Information from: Palladium-Item, http://www.pal-item.com