Kellogg Company Cuts 209 Battle Creek Jobs

Kellogg Company today moved to cut 174 manufacturing jobs and 35 salary jobs.   The news was confirmed by Battle Creek City Manager Rebecca Fleury in a letter to Mayor Mark Behnke and Battle Creek city commissioners.

“I received word from the Kellogg Company today that they will be moving manufacturing jobs from Battle Creek to other plants in their system that perform better,” said Fleury.  “Their largest line in Battle Creek, the bran line, will stay”.

The news was also confirmed by a Kellogg hourly who asked to for his name to be withheld.  He said the company delivered the news at 7:30 this morning (Friday, September 3^rd).

“They are eliminating all of the DX, Shred, and Rice lines said the employee.  “They are shifting the production of the eliminated products in our plant to other locations within the network. They are only going to produce Bran-based products in Battle Creek.  They told us that there will be an approximately 60-day review of this decision, but I doubt much will change.”

City Manager Fleury stated, “This is difficult news as it means 174 manufacturing jobs and 35 salary jobs will leave Battle Creek.  These reductions are expected to occur in late 2022 and conclude in 2023.  We will work with Michigan Works to make sure services are available for displaced workers.”

Fleury also stated that she and Assistant City Manager Ted Dearing will work with the Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) team to provide any and all support needed with the hope of finding other manufacturing jobs for those workers wanting to stay in the city.  “We know many employers in the Fort need skilled workers,” said Fleury.  “While this is tough news, we know there are still great things happening in our city, including many employers that are expanding and addition jobs.  Kellogg’s remains committed to their hometown according to their spokesperson and has no intentions to move their headquarters nor research and development from Battle Creek. And their bran line remains strong in the city.”

The anonymous employee told us that workers are understandably shaken by the announcement.  “As you can imagine, we are not happy about this.  We have sacrificed so much for this company, such as mandatory overtime, 7 day work weeks, and missing our families, yet we continue to be taken advantage of and treated not like humans, but like numbers.”

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