Printpack, Atlanta, has announced it will close its Fredericksburg, VA, manufacturing plant. Production will be phased out over a period of months, and operations are expected to cease completely in the first quarter of 2016. The majority of Printpack’s label and tamper-evident band business currently running in Fredericksburg will be transferred to other Printpack plants in the coming months.

“The Fredericksburg plant has been an important contributor to the company’s success since its opening in 1981 and has been the foundation of our labels business since the late 1980s,” says Dennis Love, Printpack’s chairman and CEO. “The decision to close this facility was very difficult for us, but necessary to enhance our competitiveness in a very challenging market. We appreciate the loyalty and dedication of our Fredericksburg associates, many of whom have been with us since the early years of this facility’s operation. We wish them well as we help them through this transition.”

As part of the closure of the Fredericksburg plant, Printpack will reduce staffing in Fredericksburg in several phases over the coming months. Qualified associates will be considered for potential opportunities to transfer to other Printpack locations. Those who do not transfer will receive a severance package, including continued pay, health insurance, and career workshops and services.