If you thought 2025 was rough for Nebraska, wait until you see what 2026 has in store. (To be clear, 2025 has been bad enough - the US is hemorrhaging factories left, right, and center.) And unfortunately, we're already seeing signs that 2026 could be absolutely brutal for the embattled state. More specifically, Nebraska faces a major blow to its food-manufacturing infrastructure as WK Kellogg Co. announced plans to [...]
Ohio’s #1 restaurant abruptly closing hundreds of locations – starting now
Ohio’s most famous restaurant chain (not this one) — and one of America’s fast-food icons — is suddenly downsizing. Wendy’s, the Dublin-based burger giant known for its square patties and Frosty desserts, announced plans to close hundreds of restaurants across the United States as economic pressures weigh on the broader fast-food industry. The company’s CEO Ken Cook said he estimates Wendy’s will close “a mid-single-digit [...]
Michigan braces for incoming factory shutdown as another iconic brand says goodbye
Michigan's manufacturing sector - especially food and beverage - has had an absolutely terrible 2025. Factories have been closing left and right... And unfortunately, the pain is already poised to continue into 2026. And this one's a pretty big name... More specifically, Utz Brands (maker of the eponymous chips) has announced plans to shutter its Grand Rapids factory by the end of January 2026, with warehouse [...]
Wisconsin abruptly loses 2 more factories as economic downturn accelerates
Wisconsin is having a rough 2025, no doubt about it. After a painful wave of factory losses earlier this year... Unfortunately, more are incoming. More specifically, Wisconsin’s manufacturing sector is taking another hit as two long-running facilities recently closed, leaving a fresh gap in the state’s industrial workforce. Midwest Perishable Industries recently shut down operations at its Madison factory. The [...]
New Jersey abruptly loses another plant with 200+ jobs gone
2025 may go down in history as one of the worst years for New Jersey's embattled manufacturing sector. After a string of painful and embarrassing factory and plant closures... Unfortunately, more are on the way. More specifically, Panera Bread recently closed its Edison fresh-dough bakery, at the cost of 201 good, local jobs. This is part of a broader strategic pivot by Panera away from fresh-baked dough at its [...]
New York’s sudden factory closure costs 287 jobs as unemployment downturn accelerates
New York just keeps losing factories. After far too many closures earlier this year... Unfortunately there's another major loss to report. More specifically, New York’s manufacturing base took a sizable blow when PepsiCo closed its snack-food facility in Liberty, Sullivan County. (PepsiCo owns Frito-Lay, which includes a lot of snack brands.) The plant had produced the PopCorners brand and employed about 287 [...]
