Tupperware has announced that it will close its last remaining American factory later this year.
The company, which employs over 10,000 people globally, will shut down its last production facility in Hemingway, South Carolina, resulting in approximately 150 job losses from September through January.
All manufacturing operations will be transferred to Tupperware’s plant in Lerma, Mexico, which already produces the majority of items for the U.S. and Canadian markets, according to company statements.
Tupperware Brands just announced it’ll be closing its South Carolina factory, the company’s last remaining plant in the US, and laying off 148 employees.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) June 15, 2024
The iconic plastic food container company will now have all of its manufacturing operations in Mexico.
That’s Bidenomics. pic.twitter.com/n0QJiHCQRb
Best known for its plastic food storage containers, Tupperware was founded in 1946 by Earl Tupper and is credited with revolutionizing food storage through its airtight sealing system.
Plastics Today explains the hardship the company has experienced in recent months:
This latest news follows a tumultuous few months for the company, which has included sales of real estate in the United States and abroad, and a non-compliance notification from the New York Stock Exchange in April of this year because it delayed filing its annual report for 2023. Tupperware has six months starting from March 29, 2024, to file the form and regain compliance.
In addition to deep financial challenges — its debt burden is unsustainable, according to media reports — Tupperware has altered its business model from direct sales and “Tupperware parties,” which took a beating during COVID-era lockdowns, to distribution deals with Target and other retail outlets.
Sidelining the multi-level marketing approach, which has been core to the brand’s identity for decades, further isolates Tupperware and removes it from conversations, although it may not have had a choice in the matter.
The announcement adds to the bleak outlook for the American economy, which continues to suffer under the Biden regime as businesses shut down or move operations overseas due to high inflation and unsustainable costs.
How’s that build back better working for y’all? pic.twitter.com/EHuzWZdiPq
— Bill Finnegan (@RedPilledBill) June 10, 2024
