Nestlé to cut more than 200 jobs at Solon campus
Nestlé is cutting 216 jobs at its Solon manufacturing facility, the company announced Monday.
The company issued a statement that said it is “optimizing our manufacturing network and shifting some production from our Solon factory to other sites within our U.S. network.”
In a November 2023 notice of layoffs and closures filed with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, the company announce it would be laying off 77 employees from its Northeast Ohio headquarters in Solon.
A notice regarding the current layoff announcement was not available online Monday.
Nestlé Prepared Foods is a subsidiary of Nestlé USA, which is owned by Nestlé S.A. of Vevey,
Switzerland. It employs more than 3,000 employees in nine manufacturing plants and its Solon headquarters.
“The Solon factory will continue to be an important part of our manufacturing network and will run lines dedicated to our growing Out-of-Home business,” the statement continued. “The business will actively review opportunities to add capacity to the factory in the future as the business environment evolves.”
Pet food factory opening in southern Ohio
Nestlé expects to bring 300 new jobs to the Cincinnati area this year.
“In 2020, Nestlé Purina PetCare announced a $550 million investment to build a new factory in Williamsburg Township to meet increasing demand for its high-quality, nutritious pet foods. Upon completion, anticipated to open late 2024, the facility will bring 300 new jobs to the state,” the spokesperson added.
“We are committed to doing all we can to support our people during this change, such as developing comprehensive separation packages to ease employees’ career transitions and collaborating with state and local officials to provide additional resources and support,” the statement continued. “Impacted employees will also be able to apply for open roles at other Nestlé manufacturing facilities, including those in Ohio.”
“Nestlé remains committed to Ohio with more 3,000 employees across 9 facilities including: Nestlé USA’s corporate campus and factory, a Nestle Professional factory, two Purina factories, a Nespresso boutique, a sales office, quality assurance lab and R&D center.”
In 2015, the company opened a $50 million, 144,000-square-foot research and development center in Solon, augmenting its presence in the city. At the time, it employed 2,200 in the Cleveland area and 3,400 in Ohio.
The Solon headquarters had been the launching point for brands including Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, and Nestlé Toll House cookie doughs. Brands that had relocated to Solon include Hot Pockets and Lean Pockets, DiGiorno, California Pizza Kitchen, Tombstone and Jack’s pizza.