MONACA — The new owners of Beaver County’s former Anchor Hocking plant have big plans for the facility.
European glass maker Stoelzle Glass officially purchased the Monaca factory last week, the Times first reported last Monday. It’s Stoelzle’s first American acquisition; the Austrian-based manufacturer operates six other plants throughout Europe. Financial terms between Anchor Hocking, a subsidiary of the Oneida Group, and Stoelzle were not immediately disclosed.
Stoelzle produces glass packaging for industries including pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetics. Company representatives met with plant management, United Steelworkers leadership and the facility’s roughly 310 union employees last week to discuss what’s next for the century-old former Phoenix Glass site – sold to Ohio-based Oneida more than 50 years ago.
Monaca Manager Dave Kramer said Stoelzle officials were interested in the community during their Beaver County visit, asking about other large employers in the area.
“All of their other plants are community based, and they push for community involvement,” he said. “They said they’ve been trying to get into North America for a while.”
It’s still unknown if the company will shift workforce, but Kramer said “it doesn’t seem” as if there will be layoffs as a result of the acquisition. The plant is a significant employer and revenue generator in the borough.
Stoelzle plans to maintain the plant’s production levels for now, but…
