Flooded Hamburg hit with layoffs (95)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Ross Boettcher

Ninety-five workers at ConAgra Foods' microwave popcorn plant in Hamburg, Iowa, learned Wednesday evening that they would be laid off.

The ConAgra operation, which made Orville Redenbacher's and Act II popcorn, is one of the largest employers in Hamburg.

ConAgra, the Omaha-based packaged food giant, plans to keep its bulk popcorn processing operation running, but production from Hamburg's microwave popcorn plant will be dispersed to other factories in Marion, Ohio, and Rensselaer, Ind., said Teresa Paulsen, a ConAgra spokeswoman.

Soaring commodity prices and soft consumer demand for many of ConAgra's brands, which include Healthy Choice, Banquet, Slim Jim and Peter Pan peanut butter, have left the company looking for areas where it can save money and cut costs.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20110811/NEWS01/708119773/0#flooded-hamburg-hit-with-layoffs

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Photo: http://www.omaha.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=OW&Date=20110811&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=708119773&Ref=AR&maxw=490&maxh=275
The backup levee built around Hamburg holds off Missouri River floodwaters in this file photo.

[KamaAina]

1. Using a flood as an excuse for layoffs?!

It's happened before. Just days after Katrina, Ruth's Chris Steak House announced it was moving its headquarters from the New Orleans suburb of Metairie to Orlando, Fla. :grr:

[ixion]

2. "Healthy Choice, Banquet, Slim Jim and Peter Pan"

All brands I avoid like the Plague.

[Hubert Flottz]

3. What we need is two or three more tax cuts for bankers and CEOs

so they will create jobs. Like the millions of jobs they've created in the past ten years since the Bush Tax cuts.(in China and India)

Edit... :sarcasm:

[UpInArms]

4. how "human" of Con-Agra!

:sarcasm:

[liberal N proud]

5. Kicking people while they are down

Don't these people have enough to deal with?