In an announcement that has rattled West Tennessee, the Kellanova Company has confirmed that its Eggo plant in Rossville will permanently close, leaving 142 workers facing unemployment. Local news outlet Local Memphis obtained a WARN letter dated March 26, 2024, which stated that the facility, located in Fayette County, is preparing to shut down operations between June 1 and November 30. The company cited a collective bargaining agreement that may offer some employees bumping rights in the face of layoffs.

According to a report by Action News 5, the company filed a WARN notice with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, officially noticing the impending closure. The phased layoffs will impact the lives of 142 workers who have toiled at the plant to supply one of America's iconic breakfast staples.

FOX13 Memphis adds that the Greater Memphis Local Workforce Development Board will have the responsibility of assisting those dislocated workers. "Some of those employees are represented by a collective bargaining agreement and have bumping rights, if applicable, with permanent and total plant closure," said the notice filed by Kellanova Company. The workforce board's role will be pivotal in helping the dislocated workers to transition into new employment opportunities in a region that will feel the economic repercussions of the plant's closure.

The plant, which is situated at 585 Morrison Road in Rossville, Tennessee, has long been a part of the community and its shutdown marks the end of an era. While the company has not publicly disclosed the specific reasons for the plant's closure, the layoffs suggest a challenging period ahead for those employees who have kept the production lines moving, dedicated to crafting the familiar waffles for years. The Kellanova Company, which has decided to terminate these 142 positions, has not commented further on the support of those workers beyond the notice period.