General Mills to shutter Independence pet treats plant

INDEPENDENCE — General Mills plans to close its Independence pet treats manufacturing plant, costing 250 employees their jobs, a spokesperson has confirmed.

The Blue Buffalo plant, which makes select products for the company’s Top Chews and Nudges brands, will shut down by the end of the year.

“We acquired the Independence facility as part of the acquisition of Nudges and Top Chews products in July 2021, and while never an easy decision to close a manufacturing plant, these changes are in direct support of our pet supply chain strategy, which supports the long-term growth of our business,” said Mollie Wulff, a spokesperson at General Mills, said in am email Friday.

The impacted employees will receive “career services and benefits support” and are encouraged to explore career opportunities “across our network,” she said.

Nudges and Top Chews were products of Tyson Foods. The facility where they were made was added to General Mills’ portfolio when the company completed the acquisition of Tyson’s pet treats business for $1.2 billion in cash. General Mills already owned the pet food brand known as Blue Buffalo, now the name of the plant.