Univar Solutions USA LLC will permanently lay off 99 workers at its distribution facility in Greer, Spartanburg County, ending an on-site waste management contract at the BMW Manufacturing plant by late June, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce on April 21.
The chemical distributor’s Greer facility serves as the sole on-site waste management operation at the BMW Manufacturing plant near Greer. Univar Solutions, a global specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor, notified the state that the 99 permanent job eliminations are set to take effect on June 28. The WARN Act requires companies with 100 or more employees to give at least 60 days advance notice before a mass layoff or plant closing, giving affected workers and workforce development officials a window to connect with retraining resources before the cuts take hold.
The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce’s Rapid Response Unit has been notified of the pending cuts. Workforce development staff planned to meet with affected employees to explain available resources, including the federally funded Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program, which can cover retraining costs for workers transitioning to new fields, and on-the-job training arrangements. Officials noted that South Carolina currently has a strong job market with weekly job fairs held at workforce centers and at employer sites around the state. Univar Solutions is a Chicago-based company that distributes specialty chemicals and ingredients to industrial, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and manufacturing clients. Its Greer site specifically provided waste stream management services to the BMW plant, which is BMW’s largest single production facility in the world, producing more than 400,000 vehicles per year.
The June 28 effective date gives laid-off Univar employees roughly nine weeks after the WARN filing to pursue new employment or retraining before their final day. Workforce development officials encouraged affected workers to proactively contact SC Works offices rather than waiting for outreach. The full list of 2026 WARN Act notifications for South Carolina is publicly maintained by the Department of Employment and Workforce at scworks.org.
What’s Happening
Q: How many workers will lose their jobs and where?
A: Univar Solutions USA LLC is laying off 99 workers at its facility in Greer, Spartanburg County, which provides on-site waste management services at the BMW Manufacturing plant.
Q: When do the cuts take effect, and when was the notice filed?
A: The permanent layoffs are effective June 28. Univar filed the required WARN Act notice with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce on April 21.
Q: What support is available for affected workers?
A: The SC Department of Employment and Workforce Rapid Response Unit will connect laid-off workers with resources including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program, which can cover retraining costs, and weekly job fairs at workforce centers statewide.
