International Paper to close Washington box plant

On Jan. 30, International Paper filed a worker adjustment and retraining notification (WARN) in the state of Washington revealing plans to close its Yakima Box container facility in Union Gap.

The facility is scheduled to permanently cease operations by April 3, eliminating 102 jobs.

“The Yakima facility, and all of its team members, have been a valuable part of International Paper Company for a number of years, and we regret the news we must share today,” Katie Donelan, a human resources business partner, says in the WARN filing.

The Union Gap site provided packaging and recycling products and services and, according to Yakima County records, the 10.5-acre property has been the site of a light industrial building since the mid-1960s.

International Paper has four remaining sites in Washington, including two packaging facilities and a recycling facility.

In November 2025, the Memphis, Tennessee-based company announced plans to close packaging facilities in Compton, California, and Louisville, Kentucky. The sites were expected to cease operations by January, impacting 125 employees in Compton and 93 in Louisville.

The November announcement followed a string of announcements throughout last year that saw International Paper attempt to streamline its operations as it integrated with London-based packaging company DS Smith, which it acquired in early 2025.

The moves included the closure or sale of four containerboard mills in North America (three in the United States and one in Mexico), four recycling facilities (two in the U.S. and two in Mexico) and three packaging facilities.

"Making the decision to close a facility is incredibly difficult, especially knowing the impact it has on our team members and their families," Tom Hamic, executive vice president and president, North American Packaging Solutions, said in November. "We are sincerely grateful for the contributions of our departing team members, and we are fully committed to supporting them through this transition."