Old Dial Soap Plant Closing Soon In Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, IL — It's the end of an era for workers at the old Dial soap factory in Montgomery. The owner of the facility, VVF Illinois Services LLC, announced earlier this year it would end bar soap production at the Aucutt Road plant, eliminating about 250 jobs in the process.

According to the Beacon News, most of the remaining 211 employees at the plant will punch out for the last time on Friday, with "a few dozen mechanics, electricians, welders and machinists remaining behind a couple extra weeks for equipment shut-down."

Some of the workers have spent decades with the company. Steve Thicksten told the Beacon he is just six months shy of his 40th anniversary. “I feel bad for those who are younger and now need to hit the streets looking for another job," he said.

It's not the first major employer in the area to close. Last July, the Butterball plant closed, taking with it 600 jobs. In January, however, lunch meat manufacturer Carl Buddig announced it had purchased the former Butterball facility, a move it said would create 250 to 300 new jobs at the Montgomery location.

In mid-2017, Caterpillar also announced it was closing down a manufacturing line at its plant near Montgomery, estimating 800 jobs would be lost. The production line is slated to close by the end of 2018.

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