Tupperware Shuts Last U.S. Plant, Shifts to Mexico

(LibertySociety.com) – Yet another longtime company is shuttering its doors in the United States and moving to Mexico.

Tupperware, in business for 78 years, will permanently close its last factory in Hemingway, South Carolina. The company will begin laying off workers in late September through mid-January 2025. Some workers will be eligible for a severance payout and early retirement. The company told one media outlet that it is helping non-eligible workers find new employment by sending them to a local job fair to connect with businesses in the area.

A representative from the company made clear that the decision to relocate to Mexico had nothing to do with the team’s performance at the Hemingway facility. The representative expressed appreciation for the employees “and the many years of service” they had committed to the company. A mainstream media outlet cited “cheaper wages in Mexico” as the reason for the decision. Conservatives on social media quickly jumped on the chance to blame Biden’s economy for the move, with many questioning his administration’s claims of job growth in the United States.

Tupperware rose in popularity alongside the race to the suburbs. The company contracted out stay-at-home moms to host parties and promote its products through word-of-mouth advertising. It became a household name, with most people using its brand name to refer to any plastic storage container. In October 2022, the company shifted its business model to retail and began stocking the containers nationwide at Target.

In April, Tupperware announced it was short on cash, which tanked the stock by 50 percent. Shares are trading at around $1.50 each, down nearly 99 percent since 2013. Last fall, the company sold its South Carolina plant to an investment company and immediately signed a lease to rent the facility at an unknown cost. Competition from other companies that sell cheaper storage containers is one likely factor in the company’s inability to continue producing its products in the United States.