U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) slammed Anchor Hocking Holdings Inc. for its abrupt plans to close its glass manufacturing plant in Charleroi, Pa., and requested a confidential briefing from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on questions concerning Anchor Hocking’s assumption of control over the Pyrex manufacturing operation.
Closing the factory would not only cost 300 Pennsylvanians their jobs but would change the fabric of the community and put an end to one of Pennsylvania’s most impressive manufacturing success stories, the senator wrote Anchor Hocking CEO Mark Eichhorn in a Sept. 19 letter.
“Glass making has a proud legacy in Charleroi, and this plant has been a staple of the community for over 132 years, long before the current private equity ownership acquired it,” wrote Casey. “The jobs at this plant have provided family-sustaining livelihoods for the tens of thousands of proud workers who have shaped it into the local legacy it is today.
“Your sudden announcement to close the plant will upend the lives of Pennsylvania workers who have contributed to your company’s success,” he added.
At the same time, Casey called the decision “all the more puzzling” considering that the glassware market is not in crisis, noting that private-sector analysts predict that the market will continue to grow over the coming years.
“With this context, it is difficult to understand why it would be necessary to close the plant now,” he wrote.
The senator asked Eichhorn to reconsider the decision, and at the very least, to explore options to sell the facility to a willing buyer.
“I also understand that your workers, represented by the United Steelworkers, have issued a demand to bargain and would welcome the chance to work for different owners,” wrote the lawmaker, who also asked the CEO to provide answers to several questions about the company’s plans before Oct. 1.
“The Charleroi community and the hardworking employees of this historic facility have given you their very best,” wrote Casey. “They deserve better than to be tossed aside by a company that has disrespected their rights, their value, and seems unable to prosper in a growing market.”
Casey also sent a Sept. 19 letter to U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) requesting a confidential briefing from the FTC on questions concerning Anchor Hocking’s assumption of control over the Pyrex manufacturing operation in Charleroi.
Specifically, Casey requested a briefing on the failed acquisition of Instant Brands’ Houseware division, which included the Charleroi plant, by equity investment firm, Centre Lane Partners, during Instant Brands’ chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in 2023.
After the failed acquisition, Anchor Hocking, a Centre Lane company, assumed control of the Charleroi Pyrex plant in March and is now planning to close the facility, according to the letter.
“This raises questions, especially given the subsequent actions taken by Anchor Hocking,” wrote Casey, referring to Anchor Hocking’s Sept. 5 announcement to close the Charleroi plant after 132 years of operations. He wrote that the closure has the potential to not only eliminate hundreds of jobs, but “will devastate” morale for a community of more than 4,000 residents, according to his letter.
“Pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act’s disclosure clause, I understand the sensitivity of such matters, and I can assure you that neither I nor my staff will disclose any non-public information provided during the briefing,” he wrote Wyden.