NORTH CAROLINA (From news reports) -- Illinois-based Packaging Corporation of America will close its Salisbury corrugated packaging plant at the end of the year, resulting in the loss of 108 jobs.

The company, also known as PCA, told employees in Salisbury on Friday, Oct. 3, they would be losing their jobs between Dec. 5 and Dec. 19. The last day of operations at the plant is expected to be Dec. 31.

Hourly production and maintenance employees are represented by the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union.

PCA, manufactures containerboard and corrugated packaging material. The company says it will assist interested workers in transferring to one of its other 120 locations. Those locations include six in North Carolina in Concord, Farmville, Greensboro, Mooresville, Morganton and Trinity.

"This represented a difficult business decision. We regret the impact the permanent plant closure will have on our valued employees and the community at large," PCA officials wrote in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filed with the state.

In September, PCA acquired Greif Packaging's containerboard business for $1.8 billion. Greif has North Carolina operations in Mecklenburg, Forsyth and Davidson counties.

"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our Salisbury employees for their dedication and service over the years," PCA released in a statement.

PCA customers in Salisbury will be served by its other facilities within the state and the surrounding area, the company says in a release.

PCA employed about 15,443 workers who earned a median wage of about $85,000 a year, as of Dec. 31, according to an SEC filing. Almost all of its employees work in the U.S. Rowan County had an unemployment rate of 3.9% in August, compared to the state average of 3.7%.