Diversey Holdings, a South Carolina-based manufacturer of cleaning and hygiene products, will shutter its Watertown plant at 316 Hart St., according to a WARN notice.
Beginning Jan. 31, 2023, the company will close the manufacturing section of the facility, laying off 60 employees in the process. Diversey does expect the office section of the facility to continue operating.
"The U.S. Chemical business headquarters will remain in Watertown. The decision to relocate our manufacturing and warehouse capabilities to northern Kentucky is the result of our continuous review of programs, supply chains, efficiencies and more to ensure the best possible results for customers, employees and suppliers," according to a statement from the company. "It was not an easy decision as many factors had to be considered, especially the impact it will have on people, both internally and externally. This decision is not a reaction to the performance of our current sites, but a strategic move to best position our supply chain footprint and enable business growth and best support our customers."
The Diversey Corp. was founded in 1923 as a specialty subsidiary of a Chicago-based industrial cleaner business. In 1996, most of the Diversey business was sold to the British-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever. The company was then merged with Lever Industrial International and re-named DiverseyLever. The company landed in Racine in 2002 after Unilever sold it to Johnson Wax Professional. However, the company’s headquarters was moved to South Carolina in 2014 after
being acquired by Sealed Air Corp. in 2011.
The company’s third quarter results show its net sales increased 3.6% versus prior year, or 17.3% when adjusting for currency. Diversey operates in over 80 countries and has over 8,500 employees.
