Pepsi + Frito Lay Announce Mass Layoffs, Plant Closure

PepsiCo Foods USA, the parent company of Pepsi and Frito Lay, is laying off 288 workers and shutting down a major plant, located in New York.

According to Spectrum Local News, PepsiCo has released the following statement about the plant closure and subsequent layoffs.

In a statement, PepsiCo Foods USA says:

“This plant has played a vital role in producing our beloved PopCorners brand, but the pace of growth for this product line paired with broader industry pace of growth has made it difficult to sustain the site’s long-term viability … We have notified our workforce and are working closely with our employees and local community officials to provide a supportive transition.”

This plant is located in Liberty, a small town in New York, and they’re not taking lightly to the closure. It will mean a large loss of jobs for locals who make their livelihood working for the brand.

Town supervisor Frank DeMayo wants the nearly 300 workers to know that even though PepsiCo will be laying them off in May, he’s looking for another company to take over the space and re-hire the workers.

“Hopefully they sell it to another business that maybe could turn around and hire these folks. We don’t know yet. But the Partnership for Economic Development will engage heavily in that,” he says.

If this is the case, those workers have a little less than three months in their current roles, so the town will have to hurry to secure a new business that is not only looking for a space like this, but also nearly 300 new employees.