MeadWestvaco Streets 2,000 Workers in US, Abroad

MeadWestvaco, North America’s second-largest maker of glossy cardboard, will eliminate about 2,000 jobs, or 10% of its workforce, amid falling demand for packaging.

The company also will shut or restructure as many as 14 manufacturing operations.

MeadWestvaco has been closing plants and eliminating jobs as the slowing global economy weakens demand for consumer goods and packaging. The company last month said it would shut down a plant in the Netherlands, affecting 60 workers.

MeadWestvaco is a packaging solutions company based in Richmond, Virginia. The company has 153 operating and office locations in 30 countries, and serves customers in over 100 countries. It has approximately 23,000 employees. In March 2008 the company announced a branding initiative by which it would use “MWV” as its brand; however the legal name of the company remains MeadWestvaco.