Smurfit Westrock to Permanently Close California Corrugated Facility, Affecting 141 Employees

Smurfit Westrock will permanently close its corrugated sheet and box facility in City of Industry, California, on December 14, 2025, impacting 141 employees. All positions will be eliminated, with no bumping rights for the hourly workforce represented by District Council 2. This closure, confirmed by a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letter, is part of Smurfit Westrock’s ongoing footprint and headcount optimization following its acquisition of WestRock in July 2024. Since the merger, the company has executed nine facility closures, and total headcount has dropped by 4,500. CEO Tony Smurfit cited the strategic exit of inefficient and loss-making operations, including approximately 500,000 tons of containerboard and consumer board capacity reductions. Meanwhile, Smurfit Westrock is also investing in expanding capacity at other locations, such as a $19.3 million expansion in Saltillo, Mississippi, set for completion in 2026.