Nestle Purina PetCare closing Springfield plant

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St. Louis-based Nestle Purina PetCare is closing its Springfield plant.

Nestle Purina PetCare officials say the company is exiting the paper litter business by discontinuing its Yesterday’s News and SecondNature brands and immediately ceasing production at its Queen City plant, according to a statement issued to Springfield Business Journal. The decision impacts 40 employees, who will be given the option to work at another Nestle Purina PetCare factory or receive severance and outplacement counseling, officials say.

“We know this will be a challenging time for the affected employees, and we are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible," said Brent Gleckler, vice president and general manager of Golden Products, the litter division of Nestle Purina PetCare, in the statement. "Please know that this decision was not taken lightly and was only made after careful consideration of our core businesses, the paper litter business itself and the people who will be affected by this refocus.

"It is in no way a reflection on the performance of the Springfield team, and I want to thank them for their dedicated service.”

The closure of the Springfield plant is scheduled to be completed by June 10, when the building will be put on the market for sale, according to the statement. The plant has been in operation since 1999.

The plant at 2555 N. Partnership Blvd. in Partnership Industrial Center spans 32,000 square feet on 4.7 acres, according to SpringfieldRegion.com.

The property has an appraised value of $1.2 million, according to the Greene County assessor's office.