It’s been a rough year for Nevada, and honestly for American manufacturing more generally.
With iconic brands already closing factories and laying off thousands of workers…
You’d hope Nevada would be poised for some good news for a change.
Unfortunately, more pain is incoming.
More specifically, Post Holdings (maker of all kinds of well-known cereals like Golden Crisp, Honey Bunches of Oats, Raisin Bran, and Shredded Wheat) is preparing to close a factory in Sparks, Nevada.
The ready-to-eat cereal market has been in a decline for years, with purchase volumes steadily declining as Americans’ eating habits change.
These shifts have been caused by a variety of breakfast trends that combine to reduce the “breakfast cereal” monoculture spell ongoing trouble for cereal makers like Post.
Those trends include:
- The shift to more protein-rich breakfasts, particularly among physically active Americans.
- The shift toward healthier options like smoothies and yogurt fruit cups among more health-conscious consumers.
- And yet another shift to breakfast / snack bars as busy Americans eat on-the-go.
- Plus, more broadly, there’s just a perception that cereal is highly processed, sugary, and (after recent inflation) not a great value for the cost.
Each of those on their own would be a big challenge to cereal makers. Put them all together, and it’s no wonder they’re cutting production. (The Nevada plant is actually the third announced closure by Post Holdings alone in the past two years.)
Of course, knowing that it’s all perfectly reasonable is cold comfort at best for the hardworking Nevadans who will be losing their jobs by the end of the year as the plant prepares to close.
If you have any advice or words of encouragement to share with the newly unemployed, please leave a comment!
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