Two Businesses Close Illinois Plants, 250 Jobs Impacted

Two separate businesses both announced they would be closing significant plants in Northern Illinois. Both moves will impact roughly 250 jobs, per Illinois WARN and KWQC.

Across the country, businesses have been forced to make tough choices due to rising inflation and prices of everything from food to materials climbing. Not to mention, with the holidays quickly approaching, this time of year makes cuts and layoffs especially saddening and deeply impacting for families in all different walks of life.

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Elkay Plumbing in Savanna, IL:

The first of two plants set to close is Elkay Plumbing in Savanna, IL. The ensuing closure will result in 178 jobs being transferred to other company facilities in Lanark and Freeport by December, per KWQC. Lanark is about 18 miles from Savanna; Freeport is roughly 40 miles.

Elkay Plumbing notified WARN back in April, but revised the number of employees impacted last week. The company began transferring workers in April, and will continue to do so throughout October. KWQC obtained a statement from the company:

“The need for costly roof repairs and space limitations led to the decision to transfer all current positions in Savanna, Illinois, to our existing facilities in Lanark, Illinois, and Freeport, Illinois.
“A WARN notice was triggered because there is a permanent or temporary shutdown of a single site of employment for 75 or more employees. However, everyone was offered the opportunity to transfer, and these transfers have been happening in several phases and will continue through the end of December.
“Zurn Elkay is committed to northwestern Illinois. In our expanding operations in Lanark and Freeport, we produce the drinking fountains and bottle filling stations that, in just the first half of 2025, have delivered over 1.2 billion gallons of filtered drinking water and prevented 9.6 billion single-use plastic bottles from being sent to landfills.” - a statement from Elkay Plumbing, per KWQC

Ingersoll Rand in Princeton, IL:

The other company that revealed it would be closing its facility is Ingersoll Rand in Princeton, IL. Reportedly, 70 jobs are being cut with Ingersoll Rand planning to cease operation in Princeton by March 2026.

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Find out more about the closure of plants in Elkay Plumbing and Ingersoll Rand on KWQC's website.