AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT WIRTHWEIN NEW BERN CORP.

New Bern, North Carolina-based Wirthwein New Bern Corp, a subsidiary of a Germany-based plastics technology company offering plastics tooling, production, assembly, and logistics to various industries, has announced a reduction in force.

Depending on circumstances, the reduction will impact approximately 50 employees, commencing in May 2024. However, the company has filed a State WARN notice for all 120 employees.

According to a company spokesperson, Wirthwein New Bern makes plastic parts for dishwashers, Samsung products, and the automotive industry, among other things. The company has about 120 employees. The remaining 50 to 60 employees at Wirthwein New Bern will service German appliance maker BSH Home Appliances Corporation exclusively. BSH also has a plant in New Bern.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad 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. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY (01/31/26)

JANUARY 31, 2026 — 4,500 POSITIONS TARGETED

Karen S. Carter, Chief Operating Officer in the SEC Q4 filing…

Next, I'll share a few examples of the early opportunities that we have already identified and are taking action on. First, as part of our commitment to operational excellence, we will simplify Dow's operating model. We do anticipate this will include a global Dow workforce reduction of 4,500 roles. It will also result in a reduction of third-party roles and resources.

As the way we work evolves, so will our expectations for where and how work gets done. This will allow us to speed up decision-making and put the right roles in the right areas of the company to better align with the changing market landscape and with where our customers are investing. We will also adopt new ways of working. This includes streamlining all of our end-to-end work processes by leveraging the power of automation and AI, which we expect will result in lower cost and improved efficiency across the entire organization.

We will modernize the way in which we grow with our customers through our industry-leading innovation capabilities and deeper insights into customer and end market needs. Finally, we will fundamentally reset our cost structure. This work will result in a renewed focus on improved raw material sourcing and logistics to drive further efficiencies.

These are just a few examples of how Transform to Outperform will deliver step change improvements in both growth and productivity. We're committed to providing you with updates every quarter as the work and value delivery progresses. And we are confident that these efforts will create a Dow that raises the competitive benchmark, is more resilient across the cycle and consistently delivers growth, customer success and shareholder value.

FEBRUARY 17, 2025 —1,500 POSITIONS

Dow Chemical recently announced plans to lay off approximately 1,500 jobs globally as a component of a significant $1 billion cost-cutting plan. This strategic move represents about 4% of Dow's overall workforce and is aimed at improving operational efficiency amid shifting market conditions.

FEBRUARY 9, 2023 — Original post…

Midland, Michigan-based Dow Chemical Company, the multinational manufacturer of plastics, chemicals, and agricultural products, is implementing a cost-cutting initiative that will reduce its global workforce by five percent.

Approximately 2,000 employees face layoffs.

Chairman and CEO Jim Fitterling noted, "In the fourth quarter, Team Dow continued to proactively navigate slowing global growth, challenging energy markets, and destocking. In response, we shifted our focus to cash generation in the quarter as we lowered operating rates, implemented cost-savings measures, and prioritized higher-value products where demand remained resilient."

Dow is shutting down certain facilities and is reducing purchases of raw materials, seeking to cut logistics and utility costs.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad 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. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT PROPER GROUP

Warren, Michigan-based Proper Group, a supplier of engineering, tooling, and manufacturing for the plastics industry for the automotive, lighting, and industrial markets, has announced the closure of its Warren, Michigan, tool and manufacturing facility.

The shutdown will impact 130 employees, and the shutdown will be completed by March 31, 2023.

President Robert Hamood cited “financial difficulties that were not reasonably foreseeable” as the reason for the closure.

Hamood said the tooling company’s collapse was the result of last-minute changes to a deal between Florida-based private equity firm New Water Capital and Proper Group, which also has plants in Tennessee, South Carolina and Ontario. The firm initially agreed to buy more of the business than it ultimately ended up taking.

“They, at the end of the agreement, sort of reneged and wanted to purchase only one small part of the offer they had made, so that left us in a position to scramble to sell other pieces of the company and really a situation where we’re left with too much debt on the remaining company,” Hamood said.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad 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. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?