(Bloomberg) – Blue Bell Creameries Inc., the ice cream company linked to a listeria outbreak that killed three people, will furlough or fire almost 3,000 workers after it had to shut down most production.
About 1,400 employees will be furloughed and an additional 1,450 part- and full-time workers will be laid off, the Brenham, Texas-based company said in a statement Friday. Blue Bell also is cutting salaries as it tries to bounce back from an incident that forced it to recall 8 million gallons of ice cream. The company's total staff numbered 3,900.
"The agonizing decision to lay off hundreds of our great workers and reduce hours and pay for others was the most difficult one I have had to make in my time as Blue Bell's CEO and president," Paul Kruse said in the statement. "We have an obligation to do what is necessary to bring Blue Bell back and ensure its viability in the future."
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- All PropertyCasualty360.com news coverage, best practices, and in-depth analysis.
- Educational webcasts, resources from industry leaders, and informative newsletters.
- Other award-winning websites including BenefitsPRO.com and ThinkAdvisor.com.
Already have an account? Sign In
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
