Packaging solutions company closing 2 plants in Edinburg, bringing total layoffs to over 2,500 since October.
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/international-paper-closes-texas-plants-cuts-117-jobs
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• International Paper is laying off 137 workers in South Texas while shifting operations to Reynosa, Mexioc because nothing says “local investment” like moving across the border
• Two Edinburg plants are being shut down and converted into a warehouse, which apparently doesn’t require human beings
• Five more salaried jobs are vanishing in McAllen, and the company is also “restructuring” leadership - translation: goodbye middle management
• The company says it wants to provide “excellent customer experiences” / just not from anyone employed in Texas
• Official WARN Act filings show 132 full-time jobs cut in Edinburg and no “bumping rights” --- so senior workers can’t even demote themselves to stay employed
• Layoffs begin around May 26, so employees have just enough time to cancel summer vacation plans
• Meanwhile, International Paper is spending on new facilities in Mexico and “improving” the McAllen site - cold comfort for the ones getting axed
• These layoffs are part of a larger pattern: over 2,500 cuts across at least 8 states, but sure, let’s call it “strategic transformation”
• In Q1 2025, the company lost $105 million despite $5.9 billion in sales — proving you can sell a lot and still fail impressively
• CEO Andy Silvernail, newly in charge, called this “embracing transformational change,” which is corporate for “sorry about your jobs, good luck out there”