Dive Brief:
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Blue Bell announced a large layoff of its full- and part-time employees Friday — about 37% of the company’s workforce.
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This totals around 750 full-time and 700 part-time workers, with another 1,400 set for furloughs.
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“At Blue Bell, our employees are part of our family, and we did everything we could to keep people on our payroll for as long as possible,” Blue Bell’s CEO and President Paul Kruse said in a statement. “At the same time, we have an obligation to do what is necessary to bring Blue Bell back and ensure its viability in the future.”
Dive Insight:
Blue Bell’s entire product recall and creamery closures certainly weren’t looking good for the company, so this news doesn’t necessarily come as a real shock. Still, it's the first layoff in company history, and officials were saying in late April they had no intention of laying off employees.