Update: The worst part of waking up, is Folgers Coffee Co. shutting down its Kansas City plant in June 2012. The news broke Wednesday, and the first thing many people have talked about is losing the aroma downtown. But the real loss is a company that's been in KC for more than century and the 180 jobs that will be lost.
The Kansas City Star reports that production will continue but layoffs are coming as the "phase-out" begins in 2011, starting with 50 jobs.
The campaign to keep save the plant is on. A Facebook page, "Please Don't Close the Kansas City Folgers Plant!!" already has 280 fans, and family members are commenting and vowing to never by products from the J.M. Smucker Co., Folgers' parent company.
Can social media save Folgers?
The downtown Folgers Coffee Co. is slated to close in June 2012, with
the plant's operations moving to New Orleans. The announcement was made
to union members this morning.
A call to Folgers was not
immediately returned.
Market Watch reports that
Folgers' parent company, J.M. Smucker, announced Wednesday plans to cut
15 percent of its workforce (700 full-time jobs) by 2012 and close two
coffee plants and two jam plants.
Speaking to The Pitch,
Missouri state Rep. Mike Talboy called the closing "extremely
unfortunate" and said he hoped Folgers would reconsider. Talboy said
he'd be working with the Missouri Department of Economic Development to
see if there's anything that can be done to keep the plant open and also
keep the 200 or so jobs in Kansas City.
"I'm going to do
everything I can to protect Kansas City jobs," Talboy said.
Featured
story photo from Five
Theengs.
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