Brookville 3M plant to close

Workers at the 3M plant in Brookville were told Friday that the facility will close by the end of January.

A spokeswoman for St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M confirmed the plant closing, which is expected to be completed by January 31.

The closing will impact about 75 full-time workers at the Brookville plant, which manufacturers the company’s Standard Abrasives products line. That work will be consolidated into other 3M facilities that do similar work for the division.

“We are integrating the common process technologies to help us operate more efficiently and be more competitive,” the spokeswoman said.

The closing is part of a company-wide restructuring plan announced last week. The restructuring will result in an expected reduction of 1,500 positions worldwide with estimated pre-tax savings of $130 million in 2016, according to 3M’s third-quarter earnings statement.

“We are certainly disappointed in the loss of those positions and the opportunities for the employees,” said Brookville City Manager Gary Burkholder.

Burkholder was uncertain whether the 3M property at 270 Carr Drive in Brookville is leased or owned by the company. The city is concerned about preserving the income tax base, which funds city operations.

“Every business is important to the overall economic health of the community,” Burkholder said.

The Brookville plant became a 3M facility in 2007 when the multinational corporation acquired the Standard Abrasives brand, the spokeswoman said.

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