CHICAGO — A packaging company that has operated on the city’s West Side for more than a century is shutting down operations, eliminating over 120 local jobs. Menasha Packaging, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer, confirmed it will close its 103-year-old plant at 4545 West Palmer Street by November 10, affecting 128 workers.
The move comes as a surprise in an otherwise strong industrial market in Chicago, where vacancy rates remain low and demand for warehouse and manufacturing space is growing.
Outdated Infrastructure Behind Closure
The decision to close the 150,000-square-foot facility — which sits on 3.5 acres near Logan Square — was attributed to the plant’s structural limitations and age, according to Menasha Packaging spokesperson John Van Driest.
“The building layout is just not optimized for modern corrugate manufacturing assets and processes,” Van Driest said. “Its current infrastructure, operational limitations, age, and structure just don’t support modernization.”…