Smurfit Westrock in Lurgan is slashing one third of its workforce with 55 redundancies planned

The firm, which has been part of Lurgan’s industrial sector for 60 years, has already began consultation regarding the ‘restructuring’.

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Currently around 165 people are employed at the plant in Annesborough area of the town and a spokesperson for the firm has confirmed to hte Lurgan Mail that 55 redundancies are forming part of the ‘restructuring’.

The firm is involved in ‘packaging and point of purchase solutions’ supplying to firms such as Kerry Group, Diageo and 3M.

Smurfit Westrock has operated its plant on Annesborough Road in Lurgan for approximately 33 years and was originally operated as Ulster Paper Products Ltd.

In a statement the firm said: “Smurfit Westrock has begun a consultation process to restructure its Lurgan plant. The Lurgan operation manufactures corrugated packaging, offering a range of sustainable solutions for industries including food, beverage and cosmetics.

"The restructuring is part of a planned investment programme over the next 18 months that will strengthen and modernise operations, enabling the company to build on its long-term commitment to customers while continuing to focus on service, quality and innovation.”

Eddie Fellows, CEO of Smurfit Westrock Ireland & UK, said: “I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our colleagues in Lurgan. The proposed restructuring is focused on securing a resilient and sustainable future for the business and our customers.”

The restructuring is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Smurfit Westrock describes itself as ‘a leading global provider of paper-based packaging solutions’, with approximately 97,000 employees across 40 countries.