For the second time in just a year, West Virginia faces the brunt of business closures and job cuts. Following the shutdown announcement of Novelis’ Buckhannon plant in March 2024, the aluminium giant is now closing its Fairmont manufacturing facility. After days of speculation, workers were informed on April 1, 2025, that the plant was shutting down permanently. Simultaneously, Novelis is also set to close its facility at 1801 Reymet Road in Chesterfield next month. A company spokesperson stated that the move is part of a broader restructuring strategy, with the Chesterfield shutdown costing over 70 jobs.
According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filed in West Virginia, the Fairmont plant will close on June 30, 2025. “This closure is permanent and will affect all employees,” the notice confirmed. A Novelis spokesperson told 12 News that shutting down the Fairmont and Richmond plants aligns with the company’s “long-term growth strategy” aimed at “simplifying operations and streamlining our portfolio.”
Novelis issued an official statement, saying, “Novelis is consolidating its US operations and has made the difficult decision to close operations in Fairmont, West Virginia, which will take effect on June 30, 2025. Our workforce is deeply valued for their hard work and decades of dedication, and we’re committed to handling their transition with the utmost respect and care. We want to express our gratitude to the city of Fairmont and the state of West Virginia for allowing us to serve this region for many years. It’s been a privilege to be a part of this community.”
The plant abruptly cancelled shifts on Saturday and Sunday before the Monday closure announcement. Work is set to resume on Wednesday, continuing until the final shutdown.
Among the lost roles are annealers, electricians, machine operators, millwrights, stamco operators, and strapper/core handlers. Randy Hines, a 30-year Novelis veteran, admitted he never believed the rumours about the plant’s closure — until it became a reality.
“Until you heard exactly, you know, you didn’t really think it was going to happen,” Hines told 12 News. “I just kept, you know, kind of pushing it aside. But here, we had no clue. Saturday, I worked a 12-hour shift, and Saturday afternoon, I wake up to one of the ladies that work here, one of the employees, calling me saying, ‘Hey, did you hear what happened at work?”
“They told them just to shut everything down and leave the plant,” he lamented.
Novelis’ Fairmont plant supplies domestic and international customers with over 435 types of sheet and light gauge fin/foil products. Employees claimed officials cited verbally tariffs and industry conditions as reasons for the closure, but Governor Patrick Morrisey’s office refuted that, stating, “tariffs played no role in the unfortunate decision by Novelis.”
Joshua Rice, an operator at Novelis Fairmont for 13 years, expressed concern about fair severance for all employees as union negotiations begin.
“We’ve got a bunch of great guys that work here, a bunch of great families—their wives, their children… We’re all a family here, and it’s really horrible what’s going on for us,” Rice sighed.
The closure doesn’t just impact individual workers. It shakes the entire Fairmont community. Fairmont City Manager Travis Blosser called the shutdown “a major loss,” but expressed hope that losing 185 jobs wouldn’t halt other progress in the city.
“The people of Fairmont have faced challenges before, and we’ve always found a way forward,” Mayor Anne Bolyard stated. “While this closure is a terrible blow to our community, we can’t lose sight of the amazing projects we have coming to improve our city.”
A silver lining? In November 2024, ‘Shark Tank ’-backed Prime 6 broke ground on a new facility in Fairmont, expected to create 75-100 jobs.
Novelis Inc., the global aluminium rolling and recycling leader, is feeling the heat financially. The company’s latest third-quarter results show a continued decline, with President and CEO Steve Fisher blaming increased competition in the scrap aluminium market for squeezing prices and hurting margins. Q3 net income dropped to USD 110 million, 14 per cent lower than the previous quarter’s USD 128 million and 9 per cent below the same period last year’s USD 121 million. Net income attributable to common shareholders, excluding special items, stood at USD 119 million, down from USD 157 million in Q2 FY2024-25 and USD 174 million in Q3 FY2023-24.
Adjusted EBITDA took a 20.6 per cent quarter-on-quarter hit, landing at USD 367 million versus USD 462 million in the previous quarter. Year-on-year, it fell 19.2 per cent from USD 454 million. Per tonne shipped, adjusted EBITDA now stands at USD 406 million, down from USD 499 million a year ago.
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