Sealed Air, a packaging manufacturer with about 26,000 workers worldwide, is closing at least two plants in upstate New York.
The company announced Thursday it was closing its Rochester facility.
A filing with the New York State Department of Labor also shows a plant closing in the Schenectady suburb of Scotia, N.Y.
The Capital Region plant will be shuttered by May 20.
About 180 Sealed Air workers in Rochester will lose their jobs. Another 70 will be affected in Scotia.
(Monday, 2/13 9:10 a.m. UPDATE: A notice for the Rochester plant closing has been filed with the state. 186 workers will be laid off, starting May 10.)
The plant closings come as part of "the company's global strategic review," according to Sealed Air spokesman Ken Aurichio.
A question about the total number of U.S. plant closings was not immediately answered.
"This was an extremely difficult decision for Sealed Air to make, understanding the impact to our employees and the Rochester community," Aurichio said in a written statement. "The Company considered a number of criteria – including operating costs, strategic location, proximity to other facilities and levels of technology – and it was determined we can best serve our global manufacturing strategy from other locations."
Aurichio says relocating work from the Rochester plant to other North American locations "will occur gradually through 2012 and part of 2013."
Sealed Air reported net sales of $7.6 billion in 2010. The company owns the widely-known Bubble Wrap® and Cryovac® brands. It's also a leader in cleaning products and other packaging solutions.
