Carper Statement on Announced Closure of Middletown’s Clarios Battery Plant

Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement regarding the announcement that Clarios will close its battery manufacturing plant in Middletown that employs 230 people. For years, this plant was known in Delaware as Johnson Controls’ and became Clarios in May 2019.

“The news that Middletown’s Clarios battery plant will close this fall is a devastating blow to the employees and their families, and a body blow to the economy of Delaware. These are good manufacturing jobs for employees. In this unprecedented time, I know that businesses are having to make tough choices. Unfortunately, this closure, accelerated by COVID-19, is a stark reminder of the economic challenges we are facing. Even more importantly, it is yet another reminder of the all-too-real impacts that this pandemic is having on our friends and neighbors. Too many moms, dads, brothers and sisters have suddenly fallen on tough times through no fault of their own, and we must be there for them to help them regain their footing and rebuild.

“My staff and I stand ready to work with Governor Carney’s team and our congressional delegation to help the workers from the Clarios plant and their families get the assistance they need before and after the closure. They can reach out to my offices in Delaware at (302) 573-6291. I will also continue to work with my colleagues in Washington to make sure that we provide targeted relief for those who need it the most. 

“Governor Carney and his team have been doing great work to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the First State and to keep Delawareans healthy, and I commend the partnership he and other regional governors have formed to help expedite our recovery. States like Delaware know that the fastest way to get our economy back up and running is to tackle this virus head on and ensure that we have the testing and tracing available to track it. This expedited closure just further underlines the need for a federal, comprehensive strategy on testing to compliment the states’ efforts so we can reopen the country safely and get back to business.”