Hundreds of Hazelwood families are bracing for a major hit after workers at Nature’s Bakery on Pershall Road were told on July 7, 2026, that the plant is slated for a phased shutdown. In a notice to state officials, the company laid out staggered layoffs starting September 11, 2026, and running through February 26, 2027, a slow drip of separations that will ultimately affect 345 employees as production moves away from the local facility.
What the WARN notice says
According to the WARN notice filed with jobs.mo.gov, Nature’s Bakery formally submitted its plan on July 7. The filing lists multiple rounds of layoffs, with an initial separation date of September 11, 2026, and a final date of February 26, 2027, for a total of 345 affected workers. State officials classify the move as a plant closing at a Hazelwood site in St. Louis County and record the full headcount that will be impacted.
Company response and options for employees
Nature’s Bakery has said publicly that workers were notified and that some may be able to pursue open roles at other Nature’s Bakery facilities or elsewhere within the Mars family of companies. As reported by First Alert 4, the company outlined those internal transfer possibilities in a letter to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, noting that a portion of staff could be considered for positions at other locations.
Why production may be shifting
Mars, the parent company of Nature’s Bakery, has recently added production muscle in other parts of the country, including a roughly $240 million Salt Lake City facility that opened in 2025. That plant increases national production flexibility, according to Mars. Local business coverage points out that the Hazelwood operation has been part of Nature’s Bakery’s growth story since 2015, so winding it down in stages is expected to ripple through regional suppliers as well as the workers on the line, the St. Louis Business Journal reports.
What workers can do next
The Missouri Office of Workforce Development maintains the WARN listings on jobs.mo.gov and connects affected workers with local American Job Centers that offer job search help, training programs and other re-employment support. The state’s WARN entry for the Hazelwood closure includes contact details for staff, and workers are encouraged to get in touch with their nearest job center to ask about unemployment benefits, retraining opportunities and job placement services that are typically promoted alongside WARN filings.
Legal note: WARN protections
Under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, covered employers generally must provide 60 days of written notice before a plant closing or mass layoff. The law also lays out potential remedies if that notice is not provided. The U.S. Department of Labor offers detailed explanations of how WARN works and who is covered, and affected employees can contact the agency or state workforce offices for guidance and assistance.
Federal inspection records list the Hazelwood facility’s address as 8860 Pershall Road in Hazelwood, according to OSHA. We will continue watching local reporting and company updates as the phased shutdown moves ahead and will update this story as new information emerges.
