AM I NEXT? NO LOVE -- LAYOFFS AT TREEHOUSE FOODS (UPDATED)

UPDATE: MAY 4, 2019 — FURTHER LAYOFFS AND CEREAL DIVISION SALE

The company has announced the intent to close its Minneapolis Minnesota snacks facility by the end of Third Quarter 2019, resulting in 120 layoffs.

The company has also sold its “ready-to-eat” cereal business to Post. It is likely that Post will consider a post-acquisition consolidation and possible shift operations to Post facilities — leading to the closure of facilities and additional layoffs.

Original Post…

Oak Brook, Illinois-based TreeHouse Foods, a multinational food processing company specializing in producing private label packaged foods, has announced that they will pursuing what it calls their Treehouse 2020 restructuring plan. be closing their St. Louis, Missouri office, laying off 170 employees, and transferring existing operations to the company’s Oak Brook, Illinois offices.

CEO and President of TreeHouse Steve Oakland wrote, "Our decision to close St. Louis was not taken lightly, and we are committed to providing employee assistance through this challenging transition. As we streamline our organization into four divisions and build our commercial excellence capabilities, it is both prudent and strategic that we also consolidate our administrative locations."

This layoff should come as no surprise as the financially struggling company has executed or plans to execute additional facility closures layoffs. Hundreds of employees are involved in Omaha (200 employees), Battle Creek, Michigan (84), Visalia, California (249 employees) in addition to employees in Brooklyn Park, New York and Plymouth, Indiana.

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 ... are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE -- LAYOFFS AT CARS.COM

Chicago, Illinois-based online car-buying company, Cars.com, has announced that it will be laying off 126 employees to produce a ‘streamlined’ Cars.com’s field sales workforce as the company shifts resources from its online classified listings to broader digital offerings such as dealer websites and marketing campaigns.”

According to Cars.com CEO Alex Vetter, “We need to move from a generic sales model to a more specialized one. While it’s a reduction in our total field force, we’re also augmenting and building up our inside sales efforts. To get new dealers on the platform, we think we can do it cost effectively from our call centers.”

But the truth lies closer to the fact that activist investors such as New York City, New York-based Starboard Value are pressuring the company to improve its overall performance, especially in improving growth, revenues, and reducing operating costs.

As Chairman Scott Forbes noted, "We are confident in the Company's strategy to expand from a classified listings model into a leading online automotive marketplace solutions provider. We have undertaken a number of actions toward positioning the Company to drive growth and achieve sustainable market leadership in our sector. We remain committed to that plan, but in light of multiple inquiries which indicate the possibility of realizing that future value now, and after careful consideration, we took the decision to explore strategic alternatives in late 2018.”

“Strategic alternatives” is the code phrase for sale or merger.

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 ... are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE -- LAYOFFS AT TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES

Arlington, Texas-based, Texas Health Resources, one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health systems in the United States, has announced a reduction in force of approximately 3-percent of its 24,000 employee workforce or about 720 employees. The job cuts will be spread among its many operating entities which includes 29 hospitals, medical groups, and other entities. The company is still moving forward with expansion plans and new facilities in the future.

According to Texas Health CEO Barclay Berdan, "It’s imperative that we be responsible stewards of our community assets. This is core to carrying out our nonprofit mission to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve. Great organizations are constantly evaluating how effective and efficient they are at meeting consumers' evolving expectations. Sometimes that involves tough decisions in certain areas. There are also opportunities for growth in others." A company spokesperson added, "While we regret having to take these actions, we want to be clear that only a small number of employees were affected. There are job opportunities in other areas of Texas Health, and we have a long track record of placing impacted employees in other roles in our system. We are working hard to do so for these individuals."

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 ... are you now wondering, Am I Next?