Pretium Packaging shuts down Quebec preform operations to focus on plastic bottles

U.S.-based Pretium Packaging LLC has announced plans to close its Pointe Claire, Que. preform plant by the end of December 2013.

According to a news release, the closure results from the Chesterfield, Mo.-based company’s 2010 decision to de-emphasize the sale of injection molded preforms and focus on its core plastic bottle business.

About 65 workers will lose their jobs, although Pretium will create about 30 new jobs at the company’s other locations. The shuttering of the Pointe Claire plant will have no effect on Pretium’s other site in Quebec, based in Ville St. Laurent, which is a specialty bottle manufacturing site supplying the pharmaceutical, food and personal care markets.

“This was a very difficult decision and our team has worked hard over the past three years to explore other options with regard to products at the Pointe Claire site,” said CEO George Abd in the news release. “Unfortunately its geographic location and high cost structure combined with its mix of equipment left us with limited options.”  

Pretium makes plastic packaging systems supplying over 600 customers more than 1.2 billion packages annually primarily serving the food, pharmaceutical, cleaning product and personal care markets.