Entenmann’s, the once family-run company with deep roots in the hamlet of Bay Shore, NY, on Long Island, where it became a point of pride, a vital social force and an economic boon, says its bakery there has stopped producing the brand's famed pastries.

The baker of chocolate chip cookies, cakes, donuts and an array of other goods, ceased production in Bay Shore on Aug. 13. "Entenmann's is synonymous with Bay Shore," says Donna deLuca Periconi, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Bay Shore. "Three generations of Entenmann's have served our community as bakers and benefactors."

The bakery closed because it can no longer effectively compete in the market, reports David Margulies, a spokesman for Entenmann's parent company, Bimbo Bakeries USA, which bought Entenmann's in 2009. "The transition was smooth, with no disruption to the marketplace," he states.

Of the plant's 265 workers, 176 were laid off, and the company has shifted production to other locations, including Pennsylvania. Remaining jobs will include research and development, technology and marketing, Margulies states, though he wouldn't specify how many jobs would remain.

Many of the laid-off employees, who received severance packages, spent decades working at the Bay Shore plant, which produced pastry puffs, twists, cinnamon buns and other treats in bakery boxes brandishing the signature ribbon of royal blue letters. At its peak in the 1990s, the Bay Shore facility employed more than 1,500 people.

Source: www.newsday.com