Keebler to Close New Jersey Bakery

Keebler Foods Company (Elmhurst, IL) will close its manufacturing facility in Sayreville, NJ. According to James Willard, senior VP-operations, the closing is prompted by excess capacity within Keebler's 18-plant manufacturing network. Most production at the facility ended at the end of the first shift on May 14. Approximately 150 out of 598 active employees will continue to work at the plant on two production lines through September of this year.

"The decision to close the Sayreville bakery was obviously a difficult one due to its impact on our employees and their families," said Willard. "We are committed to make every reasonable effort to lessen the impact on affected employees by providing a package of severance benefits that includes career counseling, a Job Fair and assistance in finding other employment."

The Sayreville closing is a result of an on going system-wide operations analysis, which began in September 1998, in conjunction with the acquisition of President International Inc. Production at Sayreville will be transferred to other Keebler plants to increase system-wide efficiency.