‘Hard to see’ Owens-Brockway plant close in Streator, ending a glassmaking tradition

Mike Zavada spent decades working alongside generations of co-workers at Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc. in Streator.

After more than a century of glassmaking, the Owens plant closed, putting an end to its local operations and displacing 152 workers.

Zavada, who spent more than 60 years at Owens-Brockway, knows the plant was more than just a provider of jobs to Streator, but also a part of its identity.

“You knew everyone by name,” Zavada said of his co-workers. “There’s a lot of history here, and it’s hard to see it go.”

Zavada began his career at the plant in 1960 after following in the footsteps of his father, who had worked there as a machine operator. Zavada’s career took him from an entry-level position as a floor boy to tank foreman, and later, as a shift supervisor. During his tenure, he witnessed firsthand the changing landscape of the plant and its workforce. He said he’s grateful in how he was treated by the company, the close-knit atmosphere and the pride workers took in making products that supported the community’s economy at one point.

“At one point, there were over 3,500 people working here,” said the lifelong Streator resident. “By the time I retired, that number had dropped quite a bit. We used to run 10 tanks. By the time I left, we were down to just two. It’s been slowly declining and I saw it all happen.”

Owens-Brockway, part of the global Owens-Illinois company, informed the state of Illinois in late October it would be halting commercial production at its Streator plant by Nov. 18. The closure comes as part of Owens-Brockway’s “Fit to Win” initiative, according to company spokesperson James Wood, which focuses on improving efficiency by cutting down operations. In 2022, the Streator facility had already cut its workforce in half, from 320 to 160 employees, with the latest shutdown leaving a permanent mark.

The city, which once boasted multiple glass factories, now has none.

The Owens plant has long been a key part of Streator’s history and identity, and the glass industry provided generations of families with steady work. At its peak, the plant employed thousands, contributing to Streator’s reputation as the “Glass Container Capital of the World.”

Streator Historical Society Board President David Reed said the rise of the glass industry in Streator can be traced back to the area’s unique natural resources and strategic location.

“The glass industry became our bread and butter,” Reed said. “As the mining industry started to wind down, we had everything we needed: coal for heat, a railroad system for transport, and silica sand from Ottawa.”

In its heyday, the city had multiple glass factories, including the Owens-Illinois plant, which was built in stages beginning in 1909. According to Reed, while the Owens plant expanded significantly between 1929 and 1935, Streator was home to several other glassmakers as well, including Streator Flint Glass and Thatcher Glass. At its peak in the mid-20th century, there were more than 3,000 employees across four factories.

“The 1940s and 1950s were really the peak years,” Reed said. “There were a lot of factories operating, and a much higher percentage of the town worked in glass than in later years.”

For Rafael Mascote, a more recent Owens employee, the connection to the glass industry also was personal. Mascote worked at the plant for nearly 10 years as a mold maker, and was inspired to work there after hearing stories about the plant from his father, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in the 1960s in hopes of working at Owens.

“I grew up hearing about the plant. My dad had a brother who worked there, but he never got the job himself,” Mascote said. “So when I was looking for work, I thought, why not apply? I ended up getting the job in 2015.”

Like Zavada, Mascote witnessed significant changes during his time at Owens. When he started, the plant still was focused on producing beer bottles, but over the years, the product mix shifted toward liquor bottles. At one point, nearly all four production lines were dedicated to the liquor market, though by the time of the plant’s closure, beer bottles had made a resurgence.

Mascote, who was part of a new generation of workers brought in to replace retiring employees, remembers how challenging it was to learn the trade as the factory transitioned to making more intricate bottle designs. However, he found the work fulfilling, especially when it came to building relationships with his coworkers.

“It’s the people you work with that makes it all worth it and gives good memories,” Mascote said. “The camaraderie, the teamwork, I think that’s what I’ll miss the most. The pride all of us took in our job was special.”