A fire last month at a snack food manufacturer in the coastal city of Holly Ridge will lead to layoffs.
Officials with Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based J&J Snack Foods filed paperwork with the state that layoffs at the plant on N.C. 17 would take effect Nov. 9 as the result of an Aug. 19 fire at the plant.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filing with the N.C. Department of Commerce was unclear on how many people would lose their jobs. It listed 33 different job classifications. Workers at the facility manufacture pepperoni and ham and cheese sandwiches, along with Pretzel Dogs. J&J Snack Foods may be best known for its snack foods sold under the Super Pretzels, Luigi’s Real Italian Ice, Minute Maid frozen fruits, Icees and Slush Puppie frozen drinks brand names. J&J Snack Foods also makes Dippin’ Dots frozen treats.
The Aug. 19 fire reportedly caused extensive interior and exterior damage to the building and also produced peculiar odors in the days that followed, according to multiple published reports. On Wednesday, the town reported that a road at the plant would be closed intermittently for construction repairs as a result of the fire through the next several weeks.
All of the affected employees have been notified. They are not represented by a union and bumping rights do not exist.
Company officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but did inform the state the next move remains up in the air. “At this time, due to the unexpected and unforeseen event that has caused this layoff, J&J Snack Foods Corp. is still evaluating the ongoing impact this will have on operations at the plant,” the company told the N.C. Department of Commerce.
Holly Ridge Fire and Rescue officials said they were not ready to disclose the cause of the fire or the cost of damages. An official said offices at the 84,000-square-foot facility owned by J&J Snack Foods are operational.
The company has a long history in Onslow County and at one time employed more than 140 workers, making it one of the county’s largest private employers, according to the Jacksonville Onslow Economic Development website.
The company began in 1962 as Holly Ridge Bakery when it was owned by Sam McGuffie. The company went through multiple owners, and in 1987 moved to its current location. The growth of the company meant a major expansion in 2003, and in 2007 Holly Ridge Bakery was acquired by ConAgra Foods, according to the economic development office.
When ConAgra decided to shift its operations away from Holly Ridge in 2011, J&J Snack Foods acquired the facility. The facility counted Hardee’s restaurant as a major customer customer of hand-held pies, at one point, according to the economic development office.
J&J Snack Foods employed 5,000 full- and part-time employees, and 800 employed through staffing agencies as of Sept. 30, 2023, according to its annual report. The company reported net earnings of $79 million last year. It has a $3.1 billion market cap and its stock has sold in a range of $133.23 and $176.38 in the last year. Its stock was trading for about $161 on Wednesday.
Holly Ridge has a population of about 4,900 residents. Onslow County had an unemployment rate of 5% in July, which compares to the statewide unemployment rate of 3.7% in August.