By Kenyon Wallace

The City of Belleville is facing a “worst-case scenario” with news that up to 120 jobs will be lost when ExxonMobil Chemical Films Canada closes its local plastics factory.

The closure, recently announced by the company, will occur in the first half of 2013 and will result in the laying off of scores of skilled workers, such as engineers, tradespeople and machine operators.

“The impact is obviously huge,” Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis told QP Briefing. “These are manufacturing jobs, they’re a lot of skilled jobs and they’re better-paying jobs. It’s shocking and, as a community, it’s a worst-case scenario.”

Ellis said he had met with the plant manager during the past six months and had hoped any changes would be as part as a re-organization rather than a full closure.

“It’s something about which you dread getting a call,” he said.

The 175,000-square-foot plant has been operating in Belleville for 31 years. The company has said that the film plant was too costly, even with recent efficiency improvements to equipment.

Ellis said that because of Belleville’s diverse economic base, the city has been able to weather the recent economic downturn reasonably well. But when something like the closing of a major factory occurs, the pain seems worse.

“This is relatively new to Belleville in the sense of an economic downturn,” he said. “Hopefully there aren’t other calls that are coming because if they do, each one affects the community.”

Bad news for Belleville

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