Coca-Cola is set to shutter a Massachusetts bottling facility by the end of the year.
The closure will lead to layoffs of 175 workers, according to a WARN notice filed with the state of Massachusetts. The Northampton plant bottled the company’s noncarbonated beverages such as Minute Maid and Powerade, according to media reports.
The closure isn’t unexpected. Coca-Cola first announced in 2021 that it intended to close the plant in 2023, though the decision was pushed back, according to local budget reports. As Northampton’s largest water user, Coca-Cola’s planned closure had received pushback from community members who worried that the move could raise utility costs…