(Editor’s note: This report was updated Wednesday with comments from Nestle Waters.)
Nestle Waters North America Inc. is closing its facility in Kearny as of Oct. 1, but the company said Wednesday that no employees will lose their jobs.
A federal WARN notice filed with the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development indicated 175 workers were at risk, but a spokesperson for the company told ROI-NJ in an email that no positions were eliminated, with all workers being reassigned to other branch locations.
“We are implementing a series of operational changes within ReadyRefresh branch locations serving the New York metropolitan area,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “These operational changes are part of our business strategy to optimize our delivery process and strengthen our organization for future growth.”
The Connecticut-based company said in the notice that the Kearny operations were being moved to facilities in Carlstadt and Jersey City, as well as Long Island City and Elmsford, New York.
“The new facilities are strategically positioned closer to our customers,” the spokesperson said. “They will allow us to increase capacity to grow routes in the New York metro area, enhance customer experience, reduce our carbon footprint and manage operational costs.”
Nestle’s bottled water unit, which includes brands such as Perrier, S. Pellegrino and Poland Spring, had sales of $4.5 billion in 2017.
WARN notices normally cover mass layoffs or facility closings as part of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1989.
