Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC is to permanently close its Tacoma facility in Washington state, putting 120 people out of work in one of the city’s major industrial employers.
The company notified the Washington State Employment Security Department on Tuesday, September 1, that all positions at the site on Alexander Avenue would be eliminated. The planned lay-offs are expected to take effect on October 30, although some workers may remain for longer to help wind down operations.
The affected roles include production associates, loaders, shipping leads, machine operators and laboratory technicians, alongside other positions across the plant. Some hourly employees are represented by Teamsters Local 117, while Georgia-Pacific said the workers would not have so-called bumping rights to displace colleagues in other roles.
Georgia-Pacific said it would provide every affected employee with at least 60 days’ pay and benefits in line with Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification requirements.
The company attributed the decision to difficult conditions in the gypsum market, including a prolonged decline in consumer repair and remodelling activity since 2022. It said it expected to continue meeting customer demand through its remaining facilities.
Georgia-Pacific also said the closure was not a reflection of the Tacoma workforce’s performance and that it planned to provide access to local support agencies, job-placement resources and potential vacancies elsewhere within the company or other Koch-owned businesses.
