In the shadow of the holidays, 150 workers at Prysmian Cables and Systems’ Schuylkill Haven plant learned their livelihoods were ending. A WARN notice filed in early November 2025 detailed the facility’s closure, with layoffs phasing in from January 1, 2026, until full shutdown by December 31, 2027. For a community anchored by this employer for generations, the announcement signaled deeper economic tremors in Pennsylvania’s industrial heartland.
Layoff TimelineÂ
The notice specifies 150 job losses, representing a substantial loss in annual local wages. Initial reductions start next month, stretching over nearly two years to allow some transition time. This structured wind-down underscores the plant’s role as a steady payroll hub, now poised to create voids in household incomes and community spending.
Global Cable Giant’s PressuresÂ
Prysmian, a dominant force in cable manufacturing across more than 50 countries, is navigating a booming sector fueled by 5G, data centers, and renewable energy. Yet U.S. operations face headwinds: rising costs for energy-efficient upgrades, eco-friendly materials, and compliance with sustainability standards. Tariffs on exports and demands for advanced production further strain older sites, prompting consolidation toward high-margin opportunities.
Schuylkill County’s Industrial RootsÂ
The Schuylkill Haven plant, at 1 Tamaqua Boulevard, began in the early 1960s as Tamaqua Cable Products under Bill Combs. The Combs family ran it for decades before Draka Cableteq acquired it in 1997. Prysmian took over in 2011 after buying Draka, preserving the plant’s status as a manufacturing mainstay for over six decades. It evolved alongside the region’s shift from coal mining to specialized cable work, employing multiple generations through economic ups and downs.
Economic Ripples and Worker ChallengesÂ
The closure compounds Schuylkill County’s recent layoffs, including 505 at a Big Lots distribution center in Tremont in 2024 and 314 from a Pottsville facility transfer. Retail outlets, housing markets, and schools, long supported by these workers’ taxes and spending, now brace for strain. Long-term employees, many rooted in this rural area, confront slim prospects for comparable pay nearby. State retraining programs exist, but local cable jobs remain scarce amid broader manufacturing declines.
Shifting Industry Landscape
As Prysmian streamlines, competitors expand: competitor Tele-Fonika Cable Americas is building a $365 million cable facility near Houston that breaks ground in 2026, targeting production by 2029 amid reshoring trends. Firms like Molex advance AI data center tech. Globally, cable demand surges, yet U.S. legacy plants yield to modern, tech-forward alternatives. For Schuylkill, policymakers must address deindustrializationâpotentially through incentives for new sectorsâto offset lost wages and prevent further erosion of the manufacturing base. The county’s recovery depends on swift adaptation to these global realignments.
Sources:
âPrysmian Cables and Systems to Close Schuylkill Haven Facility, Affecting 150 Employees.â FOX56 WOLF, 6 Nov 2025.
âPrysmian Cables & Systems to Close Schuylkill County Facility.â Skook News, 3 Nov 2025.
âOver 500 Employees to Lose Jobs with Closure of Schuylkill County Big Lots Distribution Center.â Skook News, 25 Dec 2024.
âManufacturer Asks for Tax Break for Proposed $365 Million Texas Facility.â Houston Chronicle, 29 Aug 2025.