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Wacker cuts around 90 workers at Bradley County chemical plant

Staff photo / The Wacker polysilicon manufacturing plant is seen in 2017, in Charleston, Tenn. The plant will lay off around 90 employees, it said on July 21, 2025. Staff photo / The Wacker polysilicon manufacturing plant is seen in 2017, in Charleston, Tenn. The plant will lay off around 90 employees, it said on July 21, 2025.

By Daniel Dassow July 21, 2025 3 min read

The Wacker Chemical Corp. laid off around 90 employees at its polysilicon plant in Bradley County after it said a small percentage of its workforce would be cut.

The layoffs affected around 11% of the company’s approximately 800 employees at the plant in Charleston, which produces a material used in solar panels and semiconductors.

The workforce reduction was effective July 11, and affected employees will be eligible for severance benefits, according to an emailed statement from the company.

“Making the decision to reduce our workforce was incredibly difficult, especially knowing the impact it has on our colleagues and their families,” Chris Kowitz, president and CEO of Wacker Chemical Corp., said in the statement. “We are deeply grateful for the contributions these employees have made to our company.”