INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Hostess Brands Inc. has notified the Indiana Department of Workforce Development it might close plants in 21 cities and lay off more than 850 employees working in bakeries, retail outlets or distributing Wonder bread, Twinkies and other goods.
The Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis Business Journal reported Wednesday the Texas-based company says the job losses could occur within 60 days of the May 4 notice if it doesn't find a buyer or emerge from bankruptcy.
It has five locations in Indianapolis with 340 workers and three in Columbus with 237 workers. Others are in Anderson, Bloomington, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Greenwood, Hobart, Jeffersonville, Kokomo, Lafayette, Madison, Merrillville, Michigan City, Munster, Rushville, Scottsburg, South Bend, Terre Haute, Versailles and Merrillville.
The company also told Michigan officials that it could lay off all of its 381 employees at 20 locations in the state if the company liquidates as part of its bankruptcy restructuring.
Mlive.com reports Hostess announced it sent notices last week to 18,500 employees nationwide. The Irving, Texas-based maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January.
A Michigan government website says Hostess notified the state of the layoffs Monday. They include 65 jobs each at locations in Troy and Detroit, 57 in Livonia and 44 in the Grand Rapids suburb of Wyoming.
Hostess spokesman Erik Halvorson says the Michigan locations are retail outlets or distribution centers. He says Hostess doesn't have a bakery in the state.
