The fair will be for the 136 Graphic Packaging employees affected by the closure. Employees are asked to register to attend, but it is not required.
Lisa Stevens, HR leader for Graphic Packaging, is helping employees with resumes and materials for the job fair.
“We’re trying...everything possible to get [the employees] jobs,” she said.
Employees were given the option of transferring to another Graphic Packaging location, but “many don’t want to.”
The primary employer industry at the fair will be manufacturing.
Stevens said many of the Graphic Packaging workers have been cross-trained in maintenance, engineering and management.
The Graphic Packaging facility is at 407 Charles St. and opened in 1908.
Graphic Packaging Holding Company announced the closure of its Middletown manufacturing location on April 1.
The facility is expected to cease operations May 30.
Some Graphic Packaging mill employees may not be available to begin employment until June 3, according to the city’s statement.
“This closure is part of an ongoing plan to consolidate paperboard production into our most modern and highest-quality facilities,” said a spokesperson from Graphic Packaging.
This consolidated production is planned to go to Kalamazoo, Mich., and a new facility in Waco, Texas.
“The Middletown team...has played an important role in the company’s success, and we are focused on providing support and re-employment assistance to them,” said the spokesperson.
Graphic Packaging Holding Company is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and designs and produces consumer packaging made primarily from renewable or recycled materials.
In its latest earnings call, the company reported fourth-quarter earnings that did not meet analyst expectations, with adjusted earnings per share of $0.46 falling short of the anticipated $0.62. Revenue came in below projections at $2.1 billion, compared to the forecasted $2.16 billion.
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