A Missouri snack factory is moving 215 layoffs nearly two months earlier than expected, a significant update to a previously announced closure affecting 345 workers. Nature’s Bakery, the Mars-owned maker of fig bars and other snacks, now expects those 215 jobs in Hazelwood to end January 1, 2027, instead of February 26.
The revised schedule was confirmed in an October 2 letter to Missouri workforce officials. The company said its plan to permanently close the factory has not changed. Final closure activities are still expected to finish in September 2027.
215 jobs will end 56 days sooner
The facility is located at 8860 Pershall Road in Hazelwood, a suburb of St. Louis. Nature’s Bakery first informed workers of the planned shutdown July 7, 2026. The company said employees affected by the revised schedule were notified October 2, and the state’s public WARN record was updated October 5.
The change concerns the second phase of layoffs, not a new round of additional job cuts. Nature’s Bakery had planned two groups of separations totaling 345 positions. The first 130 employees left September 11, 2026, as originally scheduled, the company confirmed. The remaining 215 are now expected to leave on New Year’s Day.
That is a 56-day change for employees preparing for their jobs to end. The company has not publicly provided a specific reason for moving the second date forward.
Factory closure remains scheduled for 2027
The updated company notice says the overall closure plan remains in place, with final shutdown activities expected to conclude in September 2027. The site has therefore not yet completed its closure, even though the first layoffs have already taken place.
Nature’s Bakery is shifting manufacturing to other facilities. The brand has operations in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Carson City, Nevada. Mars invested about $237 million in a newer Salt Lake City factory that opened in 2025, adding capacity for the company’s soft-baked snacks.
Nature’s Bakery produces fig bars, oatmeal crumble bars and other plant-based snack products sold nationwide. The company has not announced that these products will be discontinued because of the Hazelwood shutdown.
What happens next for affected workers?
The supplemental notice says workers affected by the closure will not have bumping rights, which would otherwise allow them to displace less-senior workers from certain positions. Nature’s Bakery previously said affected employees could pursue other jobs within its own business or the wider Mars organization, but it has not reported how many have transferred.
For the Hazelwood workforce, the distinction between the layoff date and the factory’s final closure matters. The confirmed total remains 345 affected positions, including 130 separations already completed and 215 scheduled for January 1. The exact date when the last production shift will occur has not been independently confirmed.
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