Düsseldorf, Germany-based Gerresheimer, a manufacturer of primary packaging products for medication and drug delivery devices made of special-purpose glass and plastics, has announced a financial and operational restructuring to consolidate manufacturing, optimize its network, and reduce costs, including closing its major U.S. manufacturing facilities.
Chicago Heights, Illinois, impacted 172 employees on September 30, 2026, when production was outsourced to Italy and India.
Vineland, New Jersey, impacted 139 employees through phased layoffs until July 30, 2027, as the company moved vial and cartridge manufacturing to Morganton, North Carolina, and Querétaro, Mexico. A minor technical innovation center with about 15 employees will remain in Vineland.
According to a company statement, "The Gerresheimer Management Board had decided to close the facility in Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA, at the end of September 2026. This decision was taken on the backdrop of declining sales at this facility. Continuing production at this location was not economically feasible. At the Moulded Glass facility, Gerresheimer manufactured type I glass (flint borosilicate glass) moulded bottles for pharmaceutical applications. Gerresheimer worked closely with customers to transfer products from the Chicago Heights facility to its one of the three Type I flint borosilicate glass operations in Italy and/or India in accordance with established requirements. The union had been informed of the decision in February 2026. Gerresheimer previously employed around 200 people at the facility. Please understand that we won't comment beyond that."
Change is constant, and it's coming. Tomorrow will always come, no matter how much you try to ignore it. Life offers no guarantees, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Many employees can read the writing on the wall, so why do most assume it’s aimed at someone else? Are you wondering, "Am I Next?"