“Following the discontinuation of its T.G.I. Friday’s frozen meals, Heinz conducted a thorough evaluation of the production needs at its Pocatello, Idaho factory. To ensure the number of employees is in line with production needs, Heinz has made the difficult but necessary decision to lay off 80 full-time, hourly team members, effective March 4, 2013.”-Heinz Frozen Food statement
On 05 February 2013, Heinz Frozen Food (a division of H.J. Heinz) announced that 80 of their Pocatello, Idaho, employees will be out-o-work by March.
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- ….and no more Farmers Insurance Group.
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- And across the street, no more Exergame arcade….
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- Warren Buffet owned Heinz Frozen Food made it official and notified Idaho that it will shutter its Pokey plant, killing at least 400 jobs!
Heinz finally decided to put the T.G.I. Friday’s frozen food brand meals out of its misery. The company famous for ketchup will focus on T.G.I. Friday’s frozen snacks, as opposed to full meals.
Frozen foods have not been selling well in the United States. A report last month said that frozen meal (aka entree) sales have been falling for the past five years. It’s not just Heinz that’s struggling, but other frozen entree makers like Con-Agra and Nestle. These companies are coming up with new plans for their frozen food operations, including laying employees off.
It’s these plans that might have prompted Warren Buffet to buy into Heinz. That’s right, investors like when companies layoff employees. Heinz began shutting down T.G.I. Friday’s frozen single serve entree lines, as well as multi-serve entrees, in February 2012, so, this shutting down of the Pocatello, Idaho, production line is just par for the course.
What about the T.G.I. Friday’s restaurant chain? In 2011 sales were down, by only 1.5%, and company officials say 2012 sales are looking to be even better. And the restaurant is doing fantastic in the United Kingdom.
Reports out of Britain say that business is so good that TGI Friday’s (they don’t use periods after the TGI in Merry Olde England) is about to hire 600 new employees by opening six new restaurants!
Despite the upbeat attitude of company officials, just last month a T.G.I. Friday’s was closed in Oakley Hyde Park Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio. The reason was that the owners were not going to renew the lease. (this has become the new official reason for unAmerican Corporate America to close down stores)