Manhattan — A Manhattan plant that prints sewing patterns for most major national sewing pattern companies plans to close by the end of the year after more than 50 years in Kansas.

McCall Pattern Company officials announced the closing this past week. The plant currently has 85 employees.

Abbie Small, executive vice president and general manager of the craft division at Design Group, which owns McCall, said the work at the Manhattan plant is being transferred to Neenah, Wis.

McCall’s printing facility has been based in Manhattan since 1969. At its height, the plant printed and folded about 200 million patterns a year. That production has since dropped to between 20 million and 30 million, The Manhattan Mercury reported.

Small said the machines in the Wisconsin plant produce patterns on a thicker tissue, which is preferred by today’s customers.

Small said the company notified its employees about the closure earlier this month. She did not provide information about severance packages.