Univar Solutions USA LLC will permanently lay off 99 employees at its chemical distribution facility at 1400 Highway 101 South in Greer, with the cuts taking effect June 28. The company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce on April 21.
Univar Solutions, a global chemical distributor, has been providing on-site waste management services at the BMW manufacturing facility in Greer. The company’s vice president of corporate affairs confirmed that the decision ends those on-site services, affecting all employees assigned to the location. BMW’s manufacturing operations at the Spartanburg County site are not affected by the announcement.
The layoffs are classified as permanent under federal WARN Act requirements, which obligate employers with 100 or more workers to provide 60 days’ advance notice before mass layoffs or facility closures. Univar Solutions filed the required notice on April 21, placing the effective layoff date at June 28 — a timeline consistent with the 60-day statutory minimum.
South Carolina’s workforce development system, SC Works, activated its Rapid Response unit following the WARN filing. SC Works officials told local media that the agency reaches out directly to companies upon receipt of WARN notices to offer services to displaced workers, including group information sessions that outline available resources under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). WIOA can cover costs for returning to school, obtaining new certifications, and on-the-job training in different fields.
SC Works officials noted that the South Carolina labor market currently offers substantial re-employment opportunities. The agency holds weekly job fairs at its workforce centers and at employer locations, and its monitoring of layoff activity extends beyond formal WARN filings to proactively identify workers who may need transition assistance.
The BMW plant at 1 BMW Drive in Spartanburg County remains one of the largest automotive manufacturing operations in the United States, producing X-series SUVs for global export. The plant has been a hub for supplier activity across Spartanburg and Cherokee counties for decades. Workers affected by the Univar reduction are encouraged to contact SC Works for transition services.
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This is tough news for those 99 families. Hope SC Works is able to get in touch quickly. There are jobs open in Spartanburg County — just takes some help navigating them.
Interesting that this is a contractor services cut, not a BMW production cut. BMW itself is still hiring at that facility. Different situation than a plant closure.
The WIOA program through SC Works is genuinely good — paid for my CDL training a few years back after a layoff. Encourage anyone affected to reach out to them early.
60-day WARN notice at least gives people some runway to plan. Not ideal, but better than a surprise close-down.
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