Officials scramble to keep 370 jobs after Progresso plant closure announcement

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General Mills' Progresso soup plant in Vineland is possibly closing, the company announced. (Don E. Woods | For NJ.com)

VINELAND -- The sudden decision by General Mills to close its Progresso soup plant has officials, union leaders and residents scrambling to try and find a way to keep the 370 jobs in the city.

General Mills, which owns Progresso, is continuing its discussions with UFCW Local 152 these coming weeks about the tentative decision to close the Elmer Road plant. Local and state officials also plan on getting together to find ways to retain or replace the business.

"We have to come to the table to find out what we can do to make this work and keep jobs in Vineland," said Mayor Ruben Bermudez.

General Mills announced to employees Thursday morning that the plant, which has roots in Vineland dating to 1942 and was recently touted in an advertising campaign by Progresso, will tentatively be closing by 2018.

"The potential closing of the Progresso plant would be a terrible blow to the hard working employees from Vineland and the surrounding area," said City Council President Anthony Fanucci.

Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, state Sen. Jeff Van Drew and U.S. Congressman Frank LoBiondo have given their support in keeping General Mills in Vineland or finding a new business for the facility. A meeting could occur as soon as next week where officials can begin talking about either possibility.

General Mills will be meeting with union officials in the coming weeks, according to General Mills spokeswoman Kelsey Roemhildt. UFCW Local 152 is putting together an information request for General Mills as the discussions begin. The biggest question they have for General Mills, according to union President Brian String, is why this didn't come up during recent contract bargaining completed in May.

"The last thing Cumberland County needs is for 370 people to be out of good paying jobs in that community," String said.

Cumberland County has the third-highest unemployment rate in the state, according to 2015 U.S. Census statistics, and 20 percent of its population lives in poverty.

Businessman Praful Thakkar set up a petition to save the plant at Todd's News Agency on Delsea Drive, according to his wife Bina Thakkar.

"We get a lot of customers that we always see from Progresso," she said.

General Mills chose the Vineland plant due to its recent restructuring of its supply chain, according to Roemhildt. "The company has been reviewing its supply chain network to identify ways to optimize operations and reduce excess capacity," she said. "The ongoing review led us to this decision."

In addition to Vineland, General Mills is also closing plants in Ohio, Brazil and China. The facility in Martel, Ohio, is being sold to the Mennel Milling Company.

After being told Thursday about the tentative decision to close Vineland's plant, the employees were sent home for the weekend. They will return Monday and the plant will continue its operations until the decision to close is finalized.

If the closure is finalized, General Mills is expected to pay $18 million is severance, according to its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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