AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT FLAGSTONE FOODS

Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Flagstone Foods, a national manufacturer of nut snacks, has announced it will downsize its El Paso, Texas, facility.

The downsizing will affect 22 employees in El Paso, Texas, scheduled for the end of December 2025. The El Paso facility will be solely dedicated to the production of Emerald-branded nuts starting in 2026.

CEO Larry Appel noted, “We recognize that this decision impacts the lives of many of our team members and their families. Our colleagues have performed well, and this is no reflection on their work but simply a necessary transition in our operations to best serve our customers. While we had initially anticipated seeing workforce growth in El Paso, consumer preferences drive our production priorities as they do any company, and we must evolve in this direction to best serve our customers.

“We remain committed to not simply operating in El Paso but making the facility a ‘best-in-class’ snack nut producer, focusing squarely on our Emerald brand of products. We are committed to supporting each team member impacted through this transition, including providing severance packages and robust job search assistance to ensure each of our colleagues has a roadmap to their next career path.”

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, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT CREATIVE TESTING SOLUTIONS

Tempe, Arizona-based Creative Testing Solutions, a nonprofit blood donor testing organization owned by three of the leading U.S. blood service providers: American Red Cross, OneBlood, and Vitalant, has announced the closure of its Austin, Texas laboratory facility.

The closure will impact 91 employees, including managers, supervisors, testing technologists, and trainers, and will take place on December 12, 2025. Operations will be transferred to the company's San Marcos, Texas, facility on October 27, 2025.

CTS decided to close the Austin lab after evaluating all options, concluding that consolidating operations to other facilities would best support efficiency and maintain the high standards required for blood donor testing.

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, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT ACCELERED

Bethesda, Maryland-based AccelerEd, a subsidiary of UMGC Ventures (University of Maryland Global Campus) that offers expert consulting on digital learning systems, has announced the closure of its Bethesda office as it continues to reintegrate with UMGC.

The closure will impact 108 employees, with layoffs to be completed by Dec. 31, 2025. This is the second layoff following 57 employees laid off on October 15, 2025.

UMGC President Gregory Fowler stated, “The final report has been completed, and pending the receipt of appropriate notifications and approvals, UMGC intends to reintegrate Ventures and AccelerEd back into the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). ”

According to published reports, UMGC contracted with AccelerEd to build a new student information system, an IT project that went over budget and past its timeline. The product was 'ultimately determined to be unusable and abandoned' — after the university already paid $25.7 million to Ventures, auditors said."

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, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?