Portland, Oregon-based Harry’s Fresh Foods, a provider of refrigerated and frozen soups, meals, side-dishes, and desserts, is undergoing massive restructuring. The company has announced the layoff of 195 employees and the abandonment of their 80,000 square-foot food processing facility in Portland. The company previously closed their 200,000-square-foot food processing facility in Nashville, Tennessee with 135 employees being laid off. Operations will be transferred to a plant in Everett Washington.
The driving force behind these decisions appears to be Lynn, Massachusetts-based Kettle Cuisine that bought Harry’s Fresh Foods for an undisclosed price in April, 2019. Kettle Cuisine is a portfolio company of Dallas, Texas-based Kainos Capital, a private equity firm with a focus on the food and consumer sector and appears to be acquiring strong regional companies who have the potential for expansion in national markets. In the pre-processed food industry size, distribution, and the ability to scale are of paramount importance.
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?