Chicago-based food to household products conglomerate Sara Lee Corp revealed on Friday that it is to slash 380 jobs with the closure of four US bakeries in Chicago, Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee, and one in Albuquerque, New Mexico.


Production at the plants will cease within two months, the company said as it seeks to take advantage of the operational synergies following its US$2.8bn acquisition of St. Louis-based bakery Earthgrains Co last August.


The Holsum bread plant in Chicago will shift production to other company bakeries in the region, as will the bread and bun bakery in Memphis. The Chattanooga bakery that produces the Colonial and Kern’s bread brands will transfer its production to Atlanta. The bagel production at Albuquerque will move to Sara Lee’s South Sioux City, Nebraska bakery.


Prudential Securities analyst John McMillin told Reuters that the plant closings could be expected: “That’s not unusual after a merger. They spent a lot of money to buy Earthgrains and they want a financial return.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.