James Hardie Industries to Close Two Manufacturing Sites

By Elias Schisgall

James Hardie Industries will close two manufacturing facilities in an attempt to boost productivity and improve the company's cost structure.

The building materials company said Thursday that it will close its manufacturing facilities in Fontana, Calif., and Summerville, S.C. It said the closures will incur pre-tax charges of between $40 million and $44 million in the fiscal fourth quarter.

The closures are expected to generate annualized cost savings of $25 million beginning in fiscal year 2027, James Hardie said.

The two sites currently account for about 6% of the company's year-to-date American volume. That manufacturing will be absorbed by other facilities, the company said.

The company added that innovation, research and development functions at the Fontana site will continue.

"Following a comprehensive review of our manufacturing network, we have decided to transfer more production volume to our modern, advanced plants," Chief Executive Officer Aaron Erter said.

"These actions will further improve our cost structure, increase productivity, and reinforce the Hardie Operating System, while ensuring we have the capacity needed to support our growth initiatives," he added. "Our focus remains on driving sustainable growth and value creation over the long term."

Write to Elias Schisgall at elias.schisgall@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 15, 2026 16:35 ET (21:35 GMT)