PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay snacks division will close two facilities and cut hundreds of jobs in central Florida, according to local reports.
The food and beverage giant indicated in filings with Florida officials that it laid off 454 workers this week at a longtime production facility in Northwest Orlando, while 46 employees at a nearby warehouse are slated to be laid off next spring.
The company cited “business needs” for the “difficult decision,” the Orlando Sentinel reported, amid continued consumer shifts toward healthier products and reduced consumer spending. PepsiCo reported better-than-expected revenue in its latest quarter, but indicated that demand for its snacks and drinks had slowed in North America.
“We know how much this site and its people mean to the Orlando community,” the company indicated in a statement.
The moves followed the company’s June sale of some 47 acres of property elsewhere in Orlando, although PepsiCo continues to operate a warehouse in that space as a tenant.
