US – American multinational food company General Mills is investing US$28 million in expanding the production capacity of its facility in Sharonville, Ohio.
As part of the expansion, General Mills said it will renovate the building, add new equipment and implement new training programs to support incoming talent development.
The maker of American’s favorite cereal brands says that a total of 33 new jobs are expected to be added at the plant, which currently employs 200.
“At General Mills, we’re accelerating our business and investing meaningfully in our people, brands, and capabilities to make food the world loves,” said Jay Sampson, Cincinnati Plant Manager at General Mills.
“We are proud to channel that investment in the great city of Sharonville, home of many of our beloved cereals including Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Chex, Fiber One, Cookie Crisp, and Cheerios Oat Crunch.”
The Sharonville plant last expanded in 2011 when General Mills invested US$45 million to add new product manufacturing lines and create 18 jobs.
As part of that expansion, the Ohio Department of Development approved a US$100,000 Rapid Outreach Grant to General Mills Operations, LLC for the costs associated with the acquisition of new machinery and equipment.
Coca-cola closes down Detroit plant
Meanwhile, Atlanta-based multinational beverage company Coca-Cola has announced plans to close down its plant in Detroit as part of market consolidation measures.
According to a report by the Free Press, production operations at the Detroit plant will be moved to the Grand Rapids plant which has been recently expanded.
President Todd Lince of Teamsters Local 337, a union representing Coca-Cola employees said that Coca-Cola’s reasoning for the move was that the facility in Detroit, at 5981 W Warren Ave, was old, with parking, water and other issues.
“After careful consideration, we made the difficult decision to consolidate our Detroit production operations into our Grand Rapids production facility, which is best positioned to achieve the size and scale needed to maximize our manufacturing operations in the state,” said Nancy Limon, vice president of government relations and public affairs at Great Lakes Coca-Cola.
Up to 131 employees at the plant are expected to lose their jobs but Limon noted that her company was “committed to treating employees with respect and dignity throughout this process.”
The closing down of the Detroit plant comes barely a few days after Coca-Cola announced plans to close bottling facility in American Canyon, California and another plant in Northampton, Massachusetts as part of its “asset right” strategy.
The two facilities which are expected to cease operations by 2023 will result in the redundancy of at least 480 jobs.
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