Lancaster cereal factory to close down in 2024, leaving 200 jobs at risk
LANCASTER, Ohio (WCMH) — About 200 Lancaster workers are at risk of losing their jobs as a local manufacturing facility made public its plans to close.
Post Holdings announced plans on Dec. 1 to close a cereal manufacturing facility in Lancaster. The facility, which has about 200 employees, is expected to close by the end of September. A subsidiary, Post Consumer Brands, has participated in discussions with union representatives at the facility and has notified employees of the decision.
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The Lancaster facility was taken over by Post Consumer Brands in June 2021, when the company acquired TreeHouse Foods. The president and CEO of the company explained the action as necessary.
“We are continuously optimizing our network so that we can best serve our customers and consumers,” Post Consumer Brands President and CEO Nicolas Catoggio said in the company’s announcement. “This facility closure enables Post Consumer Brands to continue offering a diversified portfolio of great products at a great value.”
As required by Ohio’s WARN Act, businesses have to give advance notice at least 60 days before plant closures or mass layoffs. Post Consumer Brands has not given specifics on whether it will terminate all 200 employees and would not be legally obligated to do so until July. However, the mayor said the city plans to assist workers who may be displaced by the closure.
“We are very disappointed by the news of the closure and are working with local and state officials to mitigate the impact on employees,” Lancaster Mayor David Scheffler said. “In the current labor environment, there are many local opportunities to absorb displaced workers. We are also spreading the word to other food manufacturers regarding the potential availability of the facility.”
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Post Holdings did not respond to a request for comment on whether the closure would result in layoffs. No plan for the displaced workers has been made public by the company as of Monday morning.
Brands under the Post Holdings umbrella include Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, and Grape-Nuts cereals, Peter Pan peanut butter, and Nutrish, Kibbles ‘n Bits, and 9Lives pet foods.
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