AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS

Tempe, Arizona-based Benchmark Electronics, an electronics components job shop, has announced its decision to shutter its manufacturing facilities in San Jose, California and Guaymas, Mexico by the first quarter of 2020, resulting in approximately 360 employees.

According to recently hired (March 18, 2019) CEO Jeff Benck, “The reason for the closures is to refresh the company’s global manufacturing services network strategy. We will consolidate many of these programs at these sites into other manufacturing locations in our network, which will, in turn, improve their asset utilization and efficiency. We expect this realignment to accelerate business execution by deploying scalable processes and tools across Benchmark. The ultimate objective of this activity is to increase efficiency and scalability as we drive our next period of growth.”

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?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE -- LAYOFFS AND CLOSURE AT RIVERBEND FOODS

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Riverbend Foods, a private label co-packer food company as announced the closure of its Pittsburgh baby food and soup production facility on July 31, 2019. The closure will result in the layoff of 396 workers, many represented by Local 23 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union.

Riverbend Foods was created by Southlake, Texas-based Insight Equity in May 2017 when it was purchased from TreeHouse Foods. The 625,000 square-foot facility has also been operated by Del Monte Foods and prior to that H.J. Heinz. The company recently reduced production from three shifts to one per day and sold its main soup production line.

Following contentious union negotiations which threatened a shutdown, the company signed a 3-year union agreement, which eliminated health care benefits for current and future retirees, in March 2019 and then filed a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice with the Pennsylvania Department of Business & Industry noting that the company needed to “keep all of our options open in case circumstances beyond our control prevent us from continuing beyond the date in the original WARN notice."

Some published reports suggest that Insight never planned to continue producing food at the facility, but saw an asset play over valuable real estate that could be re purposed.

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?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE -- LAYOFFS AT PENSKE LOGISTICS (08/23/24)

AUGUST 23, 2024 — 132 EMPLOYEES

The company announced it will lay off 132 workers in New Baltimore, Michigan.

According to a company spokesperson, "Kroger has informed Penske that Kroger will fully shut down operations at the location as of October 13, 2024, but no later than October 27, 2024. Penske has been honored to provide service at this facility on behalf of Kroger and will work diligently to ensure a smooth shutdown of the facility.”

MARCH 21, 2023 — 152 EMPLOYEES IN KELLER, TEXAS

The company has announced that it will be laying off 152 employees in Keller, Texas, after losing a contract with supermarket chain Kroger.

Kroeger will transition to a new logistics provider on May 20, 2023, at its distribution center.

JANUARY 26, 2022 — 146 LAYOFFS IN FLINT, MICHIGAN

The company has announced that it will be closing its terminal located near Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan. The closure will impact 146 employees including 141 drivers, three operations supervisors, an operations manager, and a safety lead. Separations are scheduled for March 26, 2022.

According to a statement filed with the State of Michigan, "Although this was a very difficult decision, given the dynamic customer service needs at this terminal, at a time when continuing to reliably meet those needs has been regularly compromised by challenges largely beyond Penske’s control, sustaining an effective and efficient ongoing logistics operation presents continued operating conditions at this terminal that do not align strategically for Penske,"

FEBRUARY 25, 2020 — PENSKE LOSES FORD MOTOR CONTRACT, LAYS OFF 120 EMPLOYEES IN COLDWATER, MICHIGAN

Penske Logistics has announced that they will be leaving Coldwater, Michigan after losing a Ford Motor Company contract to a competitive bidder. An estimated 120 employees will be laid of at the Coldwater warehouse and distribution facility. The company’s operations will be moved to the company’s facility in Romulus, Michigan.

MAY 30, 2019 —Original post…

Again we see the loss of a contact affecting the staffing of a company’s operations. Reading, Pennsylvania-based Penske Logistics, a national supplier of logistics consulting, supply chain management, warehousing operations, and transport optimization, has announced that it will be closing its truck terminal located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and laying off 80 drivers at the conclusion of the contract July 20, 2019. A Penske spokesperson noted that the closure and layoffs were in response to a “recent local trucking contract termination.”

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?