FEBRUARY 1, 2024 — CLOSURE OF OHIO DISTRIBUTION CENTER WITH 190 LAYOFFS
Proceeding with its restructuring plan, the company will eliminate 190 jobs as it closes its home fragrance distribution facility in Pataskala Ohio on on March 8, 2024.
JANUARY 8, 2024 — REORGANIZATION TO CUT 7% OF THE WORKFORCE IN 2024
According to an SEC filing…
On January 4, 2024, the Board of Directors of Newell Brands Inc. approved an organizational realignment that is expected to strengthen the Company’s front-end commercial capabilities, improve accountability, unlock operational efficiencies and cost savings, reduce complexity, and free up funds for reinvestment.
As part of the Plan, the Company is making the following organizational design changes: standing up a cross-functional brand management organization; realigning business unit finance to fully support the new global brand management model; further simplifying and standardizing regional go-to-market organizations; and centralizing domestic retail sales teams, the digital technology team, businessaligned accounting personnel, the Manufacturing Quality team, and the Human Resources functions into the appropriate center-led teams to drive standardization, efficiency, and scale. The Company also plans to further optimize its real estate footprint and pursue other cost reduction initiatives. These actions are expected to be substantially implemented by the end of 2024.
The Company plans to reduce its office roles by approximately 7% in connection with the Plan, with most of these actions expected to be complete by the end of 2024. Decisions regarding the elimination of positions, as well as the timing of separations, are subject to local law and consultation requirements in certain countries, as well as the Company’s business needs.
AUGUST 28, 2023 — RUBBERMAID YARN PLANT TO BE SHUTTERED IN CLEVELAND TENNESSEE
The company has announced the closure of its Rubbermaid yarn mill and commercial plant in Cleveland, Tennessee by December 22, 2023.
The closure will impact 81 employees.
According to a company statement, “Rubbermaid has decided to close our Cleveland facility and move to a sourced model. We thank our hardworking employees for their many years of service and contributions. Decisions impacting our people and their livelihoods are not taken lightly, and we aim to support them through this transition with comprehensive separation packages and outplacement services.”
MARCH 12, 2023 — 75 EMPLOYEES IN FREEPORT, ILLINOIS
The company has announced the planned layoff of 75 employees within their Global Business Services organization located in Freeport, Illinois.
According to a company spokesperson, “Decisions affecting people are not taken lightly and we are committed to treating these colleagues with kindness and respect during the transition. We are offering transition support and job placement services in addition to retention bonuses and severance packages.”
JANUARY 28, 2023 — 13% OF THE OFFICE WORKFORCE TO BE TARGETED FOR LAYOFFS
The company announced a restructuring and savings initiative, Project Phoenix, that aims to strengthen the company by leveraging its scale to further reduce complexity, streamlining its operating model, and driving operational efficiencies.
“We are taking action to simplify and strengthen our organization by leveraging the scale and power of One Newell to optimize our cost structure and operate more efficiently. Specifically, we are evolving our operating model into three operating segments based on similarities of consumer and customer dynamics, which will reduce duplication and yield synergies,” said Chief Executive Officer, Ravi Saligram. “Based on the success of Project Ovid, we are moving to a unified global manufacturing organization that we expect to drive meaningful margin improvement in the long term. Also, we are reducing international fragmentation by moving to a One Newell go-to-market approach in key geographies. These actions are a continuation of the simplification agenda that we have driven over the last four years and in response to the difficult macro environment. We expect to unlock significant savings from the restructuring initiatives, which should help partially offset the impact of macro-economic pressures on the business, while making us a more nimble and agile organization.”
Project Phoenix is expected to be substantially implemented by the end of 2023. It incorporates a variety of initiatives designed to simplify the organizational structure, streamline the company’s real estate, centralize its supply chain functions, which include manufacturing, distribution, transportation and customer service, transition to a unified One Newell go-to-market model in key international geographies, and otherwise reduce overhead costs.
The restructuring plan is expected to result in the elimination of approximately 13% of office positions. The company will begin reducing headcount in the first quarter 2023, with most of these actions expected to be completed by the end of 2023, subject to local law and consultation requirements.
To drive further simplification and unlock additional efficiencies and synergies within the organization, Newell Brands will implement a new operating model, consolidating its five operating segments into three operating segments. The company will combine its previously reported Commercial Solutions, Home Appliances and Home Solutions segments into one operating segment, Home & Commercial Solutions. Learning & Development and Outdoor & Recreation will remain as the company’s other two operating segments. The company will report on this basis commencing January 1, 2023.”
OCTOBER 25, 2022 — Original post…
Atlanta, Georgia-based Newell Brands, a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of a portfolio of well-known branded consumer and commercial products, has announced the closure of its 30-year-old Quickie cleaning products factory located in El Paso, Texas.
The closure of the plant that assembles and distributes Quickie brand push brooms and other cleaning tools will impact 64 employees. The 64 employees will be laid off between November 14, 2022, and December 31, 2022 when the plant is scheduled to close.
According to a company statement, “We made the extremely difficult decision to close the El Paso Quickie facility when our lease ends on December 31. We are grateful to our hardworking employees for their service and they will receive severance, payouts for unused sick and vacation time and job placement assistance.”
"Newell has “experienced a significantly greater than expected pullback in retailer orders and continued inflationary pressures on the consumer. We are taking decisive actions to mitigate the impact of these challenges by further tightening our belt on cash and cost management and adjusting our supply plan.”
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?
