Pipe plant that employs 120 in Zachary to close later this year, consolidate with Texas op

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Thompson Pipe Group will close down its Zachary manufacturing plant later this year, a move that will impact 120 workers as the region faces its third announced plant closure in a week.

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Detlev Schlorke, Thompson Pipe Group vice president, said the firm is consolidating the plant into its Alvarado, Texas, operations, and is offering all 120 employees jobs in Texas.

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Thompson Pipe is the third company in a week to announce a closure in the Zachary area. Georgia-Pacific said last week it would shut down a major division of its Port Hudson paper mill and lay off 650 people at the plant. That closure will likely take place this spring and leave that plant with 300 jobs. On Tuesday, German chemical giant BASF confirmed it will close its chemical plant in Zachary, where it made specialty chemicals and battery components, affecting 54 workers.

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We’re relocating it because we have a huge facility in Alvarado,” Schlorke said. “It doesn’t make sense to have this plant sitting here as opposed to consolidating resources in Alvarado.” “This is just a strategic plan we’ve had in place for many years,”

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