Ontario PP rope manufacturer set to close its doors

Canadian polypropylene rope manufacturer Poli-Twine has indicated that it will cease operations at its 110,000 sq. ft. Belleville, Ont. facility by June 15, and transfer production to a 182,000 sq. ft. facility in North Carolina.

Company executives said that the facility currently employs approximately 40 people. The companys operations at the Belleville facility were previously discontinued three years ago, but many of the employees were hired back after Poli-Twine was purchased by Deseronto, Ont.-based Bridgeline Ropes.

Bridgeline president Keith Bridges said all of Poli-Twine’s operations will be done out of the North Carolina facility, with the hope of making the company more competitive.

“Resin has more than doubled in price, and they just can’t make a profit in Belleville under those circumstances,” noted Bridges.

Faced with fierce global competition, Bridges said the Belleville facility wasn’t in the right position to be profitable.

“We don’t own the facility in Belleville, and we own the facility in North Carolina,” explained Bridges. “Also, the taxes in Belleville are five times more than in America.”

According to Bridges, the fact that many employees were unionized under the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) was also a major factor. The North Carolina facility is a non-unionized operation.

The Intelligencer, a local newspaper, reported that Poli-Twine has partnered with the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to open the Poli-Twine Employees Action Centre at a local CAW hall. The action centre will remain open for several months and help the former Poli-Twine workers find new jobs.