10/15/2026
End of an Era: TC Transcontinental to Close Historical RBW Graphics Plant in Owen Sound
In a major blow to Grey-Bruceâs industrial and media landscape, TC Transcontinental has officially announced the permanent closure of its RBW Graphics printing facility in Owen Sound. Employees were gathered for a meeting at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre, where company officials delivered the news that operations at the massive local facility will cease at the end of January 2027. The closure will impact over 360 local jobs, ending a historic printing presence that spanned decades in the Scenic City.
Originally known as Richardson, Bond & Wright (RBW), the facility has long been one of Owen Soundâs largest private employers and a recognized giant in the Canadian print media sector. Over its long operation along the bay, the plant produced millions of retail flyers, major national magazines, and commercial print materials distributed right across the country. For generations of Grey-Bruce families, "the RBW plant" provided steady, skilled manufacturing work and built deep ties within the local community. Parent company TC Transcontinental cited structural shifts in the printing sector, including the ongoing decline of print advertising, soaring digital media adoption, and consolidated demand for commercial press services, as primary drivers behind the optimization of its national print network. Over recent years, the company has increasingly shifted capital and focus toward its flexible packaging divisions as commercial printing demand softened industry-wide. The loss of more than 360 positions marks one of the most significant manufacturing disruptions to hit Owen Sound and surrounding municipalities in years. Local government and economic development leaders are expected to coordinate support services, career transition assistance and retraining opportunities for affected workers and their families leading up to the plant's final shuttering at the end of January 2027.
