{"id":7237,"date":"2025-02-13T21:16:38","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T21:16:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7237"},"modified":"2025-02-13T21:16:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T21:16:38","slug":"streator-officials-navigate-challenges-after-owens-brockway-factory-closure-shaw-local-news-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7237","title":{"rendered":"Streator officials navigate challenges after Owens-Brockway factory closure – Shaw Local News Network"},"content":{"rendered":"


Streator officials are optimistic about the future despite the closure of the Owens-Brockway glass factory, which will result in 152 job losses, as they explore new economic opportunities and support resources for affected workers. <\/span>(Derek Barichello)
Streator<\/a> City Manager David Plyman said officials will be reaching out to Owens-Brockway in the wake of an announcement the factory<\/a> will close, resulting in 152 job losses.
City officials remain optimistic about the future as they explore economic opportunities and support resources for affected workers.
Plyman said the city had no advance notice of the closure but it is exploring development opportunities for the facility, with no firm plan at the moment.
\u201cWe\u2019ll reach out to the company soon to understand their timeline and discuss potential plans for the property,\u201d Plyman said.
Plyman said the most important immediate goal is to try and help the displaced employees find work. The closure is scheduled to take place on or after Nov. 18, according to a report provided to the state of Illinois.
According to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act report given to the state, all employees affected by the layoffs will continue to receive full pay and benefits through Dec. 20. Additional compensation may be available depending on company policy and collective bargaining agreements with labor unions.
Plyman said the nonprofit group Business Employment Skills Team, which operates in La Salle County<\/a>, assists laid off workers, may organize job fairs to help the displaced employees find new opportunities, as it successfully did in 2022 after the plant shut down one of its two furnaces<\/a>.
Regardless, those now looking for work can still go to BEST\u2019s website<\/a> to use their resources.
In a statement through her Facebook page, Mayor Tara Bedei emphasized how important the factory is to Streator\u2019s history and economy.
\u201cNearly every family from Streator has a tie to this plant or one of our other glass manufacturers,\u201d Bedei said. \u201cOver the years this business has contributed substantially to Streator\u2019s economy from income to local families and that dollar then being spent at our other businesses.\u201d
Owens-Brockway opened as the Streator Bottle & Glass Co. in 1881, as Streator was once a hotspot for many glass factories in the U.S., contributing significantly to the local economy while providing jobs for residents.
In her statement, Bedei highlighted recent instances where closed businesses in Streator have paved a way for new opportunities.
\u201cWhen one door closes, another one opens,\u201d she said. \u201cRecently, Flink closed, but Alloy Specialties is opening their place. The former Plymouth Tube plant is now home to ViperLite trailers. Even the old Thatcher\u2019s glass plant is home to several businesses. When Anchor\u2019s last repair shop closed in the last few years, Coras expanded and moved into their place. As such, I remain hopeful that this isn\u2019t the end of the book, but the beginning of a new chapter.\u201d
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network<\/p>\n

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Streator officials are optimistic about the future despite the closure of the Owens-Brockway glass factory, which will result in 152 job losses, as they explore new economic opportunities and support resources for affected workers. (Derek Barichello)Streator City Manager David Plyman said officials will be reaching out to Owens-Brockway in the wake of an announcement the factory will close, resulting in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t