Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, Inc. will lay off 80 employees at its Milwaukee facility as the company shifts some of its operations out of state.
Cargill is moving its liquor grinding, dry grind and retail packaging operations in Milwaukee to Cargill facilities in Ontario and Pennsylvania as well as a third-party manufacturer in the Midwest, a Cargill spokeswoman said in a statement.
The measure will allow Cargill to focus on core activities at the Milwaukee facility including chocolate making and molding, according to a WARN notice filed with the state.
“This enables the Milwaukee facility to specialize in chocolate making and molding of products, such as chocolate chips and blocks, to meet the growing customer demand,” a spokeswoman said in a statement.
A total of 302 employees work at Cargill’s Milwaukee facility located at 12500 W. Carmen Ave.
The laid off positions include 12 salaried employees and 68 hourly employees – hourly positions are represented by General Teamsters Local Union. 200, according to a WARN notice filed with the state. The layoffs will take place on June 5.
Union employees being laid off have bumping rights under the union contract. Similar to salaried employees, union employees may be eligible for a severance package.
“We regret the impact this has on these employees and their families. Cargill is working with impacted employees through this transition, including encouraging them to apply for open positions within Cargill,” a Cargill spokeswoman said in a statement.
