General Mills continues its layoffs with another plant closure, this time one of its Pillsbury facilities.
The company said it plans to close its Pillsbury refrigerated goods plant in New Albany by mid-2016. Nearly 400 employees will lose their jobs in the closure, according to a recent article by the Associated Press.
In September, General Mills said it was closing a facility in Methuen, Massachusetts, which would eliminate 250 positions. It also announced plans to close a plant in Lodi, California that would result in another 430 jobs being cut.
The company has been tweaking its recipes and getting into new foods as it tries to satisfy an American palate heading in a new direction. Just a few of the changes included the removal of aspartame from its Yoplait Light yogurts, the release of a new line of Cheerios with added protein, and giving the infamous Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal a stronger cinnamon taste.
The company said its decision to close the southern Indiana Pillsbury plant is “subject to negotiation with union officials,” but did not elaborate any further.
General Mills spokeswoman Bridget Christenson told the Associated Press that the decision to close the plant follows a June review of its North American supply chain network. She noted that the closure is a preliminary decision.
Mayor Jeff Gahan said the shuttering of the facility that makes pizza dough, crescent rolls and other refrigerated goods would be a hard hit to the city.
This closure comes at a time where some of the food and beverage industry’s most well-known companies are laying off workers, moving locations, downsizing operations and ultimately, shuttering entire facilities.