Hospira, a manufacturer of injectable and other drug products as well as medical devices, is closing its plant in Clayton which employs some 250 people. Hospira says the facility will close in the second half of this year.
“After a thorough evaluation of the site and the various products produced at this facility, we had to make this difficult decision,” said Matt Stober, senior vice president for operations, in a statement.
The firm operates a major plant in Rocky Mount as well. In 2012, it decided to add 200 works at that operation.
Hospira (NYSE: HSP) disclosed the closing in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday. It has 3,000 employees in the state.
Manufacturing of products made in Clayton will be transferred to other facilities, to other companies or discontinued, the company said.
“This action results from extensive analysis of the plant, careful assessment of market needs for the products manufactured there, and available capacity within our operations network, and is part of the company’s ongoing optimization and modernization efforts,” Hospira said in the filing.
Hospira said the closing would cost some $37 million, including approximately $15 million for “employee-related costs, including costs for severance, retention, and other employee related assistance and other exit costs associated with the plan.”
The Hospira facility is part of a biotechnology-related manufacturing complex in Johnston County that also includes operations run by Grifols and Novo Nordisk.
Hospira is based in Illinois.
