Tire Manufacturer Announces Closure In Tonawanda, New York

Sumitomo Rubber USA has announced the closure of its tire manufacturing plant in Tonawanda today.

Today a press release was sent notifying workers at the Sumitomo Rubber Tire Manufacturing Plant in Tonawanda that the plant that they work at will be closing.  They cited multiple reasons for closing the plant including the viability of the facility, mounting material and logistics costs, dated infrastructure, and more.  They said that they have implemented measures to control the costs of these things, however, the changes that they made did not offset the losses that they've incurred at the facility.

Unfortunately, around 1500 union and non-union workers will be out of a job. Sumitomo has pledged to work with union representatives to help ease workforce transition through various job placement services.

When it comes to the timeline, production will cease today (November 7, 2024).  The company will then begin to discuss and bargain the effects of the shutdown beginning on November 13, 2024.  When it comes to individual layoffs, they will be determined based on operational needs and transition plans.

Some wonder what will happen with the plant after it closes.  At this point, they do not have a plan for that.  They said, "At this time, SRUSA’s primary focus is on a well-managed closure process. Future site activity and plans are yet to be determined."

If you have questions, they have a frequently asked question section to their webpage.  You can find it by clicking here.

They also have a  temporary web page at https://srusa-tonawanda-update.com that hopes to clear up any other questions.