Bakery Closing 2 Minneapolis Facilities, Laying Off 166 Workers

MINNEAPOLIS — A commercial bakery is permanently shutting down two Minneapolis facilities, a move that will put about 166 people out of work, according to a notice sent to the state.

Rise Baking Company informed Minnesota's State Rapid Response Team of the closures in a WARN notice under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced Oct. 30.

The two sites are at 828 Kasota Ave. SE and 2609 26th Ave. S.

According to the notice, Rise reached a deal to sell the operations at both Minneapolis locations, and that sale closed Sept. 18. Every employee at the two facilities will be let go as a result, with separations set to start on or after Dec. 29.

The state's announcement did not name the buyer.

Some workers may get the chance to move to other Rise facilities, though that could mean relocating, the company told the state. Others may be kept on temporarily past Dec. 29 to help with the handoff.

The workers are not represented by a union, and no bumping rights apply, meaning employees can't use seniority to claim other positions.

Jobs being eliminated span maintenance, production, quality assurance, sanitation, shipping and warehouse work, ranging from operators, packers and sanitors to supervisors and managers.

John Mohs, a senior specialist with the State Rapid Response Team, will lead the state's assessment of the layoffs. Affected workers with questions can contact the Minnesota Dislocated Worker Program at deed.dw@state.mn.us or 651-259-7537.

The federal WARN Act generally requires employers with 100 or more workers to give at least 60 days' notice ahead of a plant closing or mass layoff. DEED posts recent WARN notices on its website as they come in.