Nature's Bakery closes the doors on Hazelwood plant
The facility shuttering will impact 345 of the Mars' brand's employees.
Soft-baked bars brand Nature's Bakery, part of Mars Snacking, announced via Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) it will be shutting the door on its Hazelwood, MO plant, laying off 345 employees in two rounds. The plant is located at 8860 Pershall Road in Hazelwood. Nature's Bakery did not specify a reason for the closure.
The WARN filing was dated July 7, and Nature's Bakery said affected workers were first notified of the closing the same day.
The first 130 layoffs will occur September 11, with the remaining 215 jobs being eliminated February 26, 2027. The plant will continue operating through this year, and is scheduled to permanently shutter in September 2027.
"As we continuously evaluate our manufacturing footprint and evolving business needs, we’ve carefully made the difficult decision to close our Hazelwood manufacturing facility in September 2027," says a spokesperson for Nature's Bakery. "This decision in no way reflects the performance of the site or our dedicated Associates."
"Our utmost priority is now supporting our Associates through the transition ahead with care and transparency," the spokesperson finishes.
According to the notice, the plant's employees have already been notified of their termination and can seek other employment within the company, says KMOX St. Louis News via X. Employees who do not secure other positions will be let go because of the plant closing.
Nature's Bakery bought the Hazelwood plant in 2015 from Theodoro Baking Co., which filed for bankruptcy in August 2013.
Manufacturing at the Hazelwood plant will be moving to other Nature's Bakery facilities. The company has manufacturing facilities in Salt Lake City, UT and Carson City, NV. The $240 million, 339,000-square-foot plant in Utah opened in late July of last year. At the time, Mars said Nature's Bakery was on on pace to more than double its size from 2020 to 2025:
“The snacking category continues to grow in importance in the U.S. and as consumers’ tastes and preferences evolve, and at Mars, we’re focused on accelerating innovation that will shape the future of snacking,” said Blas Maquivar, global president of Mars’ health and wellness division. “Mars’ local investment in the new Salt Lake City-based Nature’s Bakery facility will enable us to expand the reach of our health and wellness brand, strengthening our focus and introducing more consumers to our better-for-you offering.”
Mars became owner of Nature’s Bakery in March 2021 through its acquisition of Kind Snacks. Founded in 2011, Nature's Bakery produces soft-baked protein and snack bars that are nut- and dairy-free, plant-based, and Non-GMO Project verified. Products include fig bars, oatmeal crumble bars, brownie bars, and more.
Mars is on the current Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery “Top 50 Snack & Bakery Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Top 50” rankings.
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