One of Augusta’s steady industrial employers is about to switch off the lights for good. Kendall Patient Recovery, the Cardinal Health owned sterilization plant on the city’s east side, will permanently close, wiping out more than 200 local jobs.
The wind down will come in stages. The first round of employee separations is scheduled for May 15, with the final wave expected on Oct. 2. Company leaders told workers the call to shut the facility reflects a mix of market pressures and supply disruptions that the business could not shake.
According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the state and reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Kendall Patient Recovery (KPR U.S.) will cease operations at its Augusta campus. In a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a Cardinal Health spokesperson said, “the continued instability and unpredictability with raw material shortages and shifting market dynamics have pushed us to make the difficult decision to cease operations.” The company told the mayor it will provide severance, benefits and outplacement services and plans to host a job fair for affected employees.
Kendall Patient Recovery, a Cardinal Health subsidiary, manufactures and sterilizes gauze, foam gauze, alcohol wipes and other medical products, according to federal inspection records. EPA inspection documents for the Augusta site spell out the plant’s sterilization operations, and state environmental listings place the facility at 1430 Marvin Griffin Road. Georgia EPD lists KPR among the state’s commercial sterilizers.
Legal outlook
KPR is one of several Georgia sterilization plants targeted in lawsuits claiming that ethylene oxide emissions harmed nearby residents. As reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the company is now defending multiple cases that are in evidence gathering phases, after earlier federal dismissals allowed some plaintiffs to refile in state court.
The broader legal landscape around ethylene oxide has already produced major wins for plaintiffs, including multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements. The Associated Press has covered a $35 million settlement tied to a Smyrna sterilizer that underscores how high the stakes have become for commercial operators across Georgia.
Why ethylene oxide matters in Georgia
Ethylene oxide, or EtO, is a colorless gas that has long been used to sterilize heat sensitive medical devices, but the EPA says exposure can increase cancer risk. In a March 13, 2026 announcement, the agency proposed amendments to the 2024 EtO standards that would ease some compliance burdens for commercial sterilizers while it reviews risk assumptions and monitoring requirements.
EPA described its proposal as an attempt to balance protecting public health with preserving the domestic supply of life saving medical equipment, a tightrope the Augusta closure now throws into sharp relief.
What comes next for workers and the city
The shutdown leaves a sizable economic hole in Augusta’s industrial base and raises an obvious question: who, if anyone, might move into the plant next. Local economic development officials say they are working with state partners to assist displaced workers and to chase replacement employers that could reuse the facility.
For now, Cardinal Health says it will back impacted employees with severance, benefits and outplacement services, while the legal and regulatory fights over ethylene oxide continue to play out well beyond Augusta’s city limits.
