UPDATED: Kellogg’s Lays Off Undisclosed Number Of Workers From Augusta Plant

***5:45 p.m. Update November 24***

Augusta, GA—- This past summer, officials with the Augusta Kellogg’s plant announced 200 more people would be added to its work force. We talked with someone who was recently hired. 

Anthony Bailey: “They are good people they work real well with you and all that good stuff. I don’t have any bad things to say about them.”

At the same time, the company was working to get a $30 million industrial revenue bond approved through the Richmond County Development Authority.

And now, five months later, there are layoffs. The company issued a statement, saying, through a program called K-Lan they are finding ways to become more effective and efficient to ensure a right structure is in place. Because of this, some jobs from the Augusta bakery were affected and those employees were notified last Thursday. Although the company was approved for the bond, development authority members say no taxpayer money was used in the transaction. Authority members say the money comes out of Kellogg’s, and then goes to Keebler. That’s because Keebler is a subsidiary of Kellogg’s.

Through the agreement, Keebler will pay lease payments to Kellogg’s to make up the $30 million in bonds. Development authority members say Kellogg’s had to come through them to get the bond approved so that interest earned from the bond would be exempt from federal and state taxes. The company says they are helping those affected by the lay offs and that there are no plans to close the plant.

————————-

Augusta, GA—A local company lays off some of its workers.

Kellogg’s, which has a plant on Marvin Griffin Road that produces Kashi cookies, Girl Scouts cookies, and Keebler snack packs, has confirmed to WJBF News Channel 6 that some workers have been laid off.

The layoffs come after the company was approved for a revenue bond by the Richmond County Development Authority.

A spokesman for Kellogg’s says that a group of people have been laid off, but the specific number was not disclosed.

The press release from Kris Charles, spokesperson for Kellogg’s is below:

“We continually look to optimize our manufacturing network. We’ve undertaken a program called K-LEAN or Kellogg’s Lean, Efficient, Agile Network which is helping Kellogg become more effective and efficient and ensure we have the right structure in place. As we simplify and standardize our processes at our Augusta bakery, some jobs were impacted. Affected employees were notified last Thursday.

We do not disclose the number of employees at our plants or the number of people impacted, however I can assure you that we’re taking a fair and thoughtful approach and we are supporting impacted employees through transitions.

There are no plans to close the plant.“

WJBF News Channel 6’s Fraendy Clervaud will have more on this story on our 5:00 p.m. newscast.