UPDATED 10 a.m. | America’s declining appetite for breakfast cereal was a key factor in this week’s decision to close a Gridley facility where 115 employees are now out of work, company officials said.
Sales numbers show people aren’t eating as much cereal as they used to, turned off by nutritional concerns and lack of convenience. Boxed cereal and breakfast bars were the main products being produced at Kerry Inc.’s facility in Gridley, a town of about 1,400 people that’s 20 miles north of Normal.
A Kerry spokesperson told GLT some of the 115 employees will be offered severance packages based on their years of service. Others who are willing to move will be offered positions at another Kerry facility in the U.S. Outplacement services will also be made available to former employees.
Thursday was the last day of operations at the facility.
“The closure of the plant is pretty much for the foreseeable future,” said the Kerry spokesperson, who asked that his name not be used. “The company right now is focused on the employees.”
Kerry is based in Ireland. Its U.S. headquarters is in Beloit, Wis.
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