Y'all should go out and buy every package of Archway and Lance cookies you can

Jstas

Just to support what they just did for 300 workers.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/23/cookie.factory.reopens/index.html

Shuttered bakery reopens, rehires workers

ASHLAND, Ohio (CNN) -- An Ohio bakery shut down in October is bustling again, with 60 eager employees who had expected a Christmas on the unemployment rolls.
Cookie production has resumed and some workers are back on the job at the Archway factory in Ashland, Ohio.

Cookie production has resumed and some workers are back on the job at the Archway factory in Ashland, Ohio.

Some 300 workers lost their jobs when the Archway cookie factory in Ashland, Ohio, was suddenly closed by the private equity firm that owned it. The workers also were left without benefits like health insurance.

But then Lance Inc., a Charlotte, North Carolina-based snack food company, purchased Archway at a bankruptcy auction. And last week 60 workers were asked to return immediately, with perhaps more coming back in the months ahead.

Kathy Sexton, a worker at the bakery, had been preparing her children for a very modest holiday. Video Watch the holiday brighten for workers »

"They said they understood," Sexton recalls. "They said, 'That's all right, Mom.' You always want to give them more, but ... I didn't think I would be able to."

Now she can.

Tiny Ashland has been struggling. Ohio has lost 200,000 jobs over the past eight years. The recent presidential campaign saw both candidates visiting frequently.

The outlook in Ashland became especially bleak when the Archway plant closed. Workers at the bakery said they felt betrayed when Archway at first said there would be more work in a day or two, but then changed the locks.

Rita Devan remembers.

"They just kept taking and taking until there was nothing left to take," Devan says, "and they didn't care that they were putting 300 people out of work."

Things are different now.

When it promised to reopen the bakery, Lance gave all 300 former Archway workers a $1,500 prepaid debit card.

"I was crying," Devan says of the gift. "I am like, 'What are these people doing? They don't know me. They don't know us. They don't know any of the Archway people. And they are giving each and every one of us $1,500.' "

Sexton -- the woman who'd been preparing her kids for a meager holiday -- says of the $1,500 gift: "It was awesome. My first thought was, 'I can give my kids a Christmas.' "

David Singer, CEO of Lance, says the gift cards were a way of letting Ashland know the new owners are different. "We wouldn't do it willy-nilly," Singer says. "We do want to make money. But this is the pool of folks that we intend to hire. We just wanted to let them know who we were."

The 60 workers rehired so far are earning their previous salary and retained their seniority. They also were provided health insurance from day one.

The bakery now produces Lance cookies that are sold to big chains like Target and Wal-Mart. But production of Archway cookies is scheduled to resume soon. Lance has told the employees that it hopes to have the plant fully operational by the end of 2009 -- that is, five lines of cookies being produced simultaneously.

The new owners say that if new orders keep flowing in, more jobs will follow.

Terry Mowry is another worker rehired by Lance. He says what has happened is hard to describe: "You just saw life being breathed right back into the face of these people."
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And Devan says with a laugh: "I walked into the garage last night, and my husband says, 'You actually smell like a cookie again.' "

"He said, 'Boy, I missed that smell.' "

Says something about a company that is willing to do such a thing.

Early B.

Great marketing strategy.

Fongolio

Something good finally coming out of the economic disaster.

Polk user

That's nice to see.

Of course if the workers belonged to the UAW, they would have told the new owners they want to renegotiate their contracts at a higher wage.

"The nation’s automakers are preparing to ask for wage and benefits concessions from their workers in early January to meet the conditions of a $17.4 billion federal aid package, but labor officials say they will seek to renegotiate the terms of the bailout rather than make those sacrifices.

The remarks by union leaders have set up yet another contentious battle in the auto industry.

In agreeing to provide federal assistance to General Motors and Chrysler, the White House demanded the firms cut worker compensation to the levels paid at the U.S. divisions of Toyota, Nissan and Honda. But Ron Gettelfinger, president of the United Auto Workers, said earlier this week that he would seek to remove the wage-reduction provision of the loan, calling it “an undue tax on the workers” who have already made “major” sacrifices for the benefit of the auto industry."

madmax

This is how capitalism works. Lance got a decent price because the original company didn't do something right, as well as some good press, and some of the people got back to work with more to come which profits everyone else. Best of all, we get more cookies!
madmax

ND13

KUDOS to Lance/Archway!!!

Of course if the workers belonged to the UAW, they would have told the new owners they want to renegotiate their contracts at a higher wage.

"The nation’s automakers are preparing to ask for wage and benefits concessions from their workers in early January to meet the conditions of a $17.4 billion federal aid package, but labor officials say they will seek to renegotiate the terms of the bailout rather than make those sacrifices.

The remarks by union leaders have set up yet another contentious battle in the auto industry.

In agreeing to provide federal assistance to General Motors and Chrysler, the White House demanded the firms cut worker compensation to the levels paid at the U.S. divisions of Toyota, Nissan and Honda. But Ron Gettelfinger, president of the United Auto Workers, said earlier this week that he would seek to remove the wage-reduction provision of the loan, calling it “an undue tax on the workers” who have already made “major” sacrifices for the benefit of the auto industry.

"

It's all just a long-dick match at this point. Concessions will be made or they'll be on the soup line while I'm scabbing for $20/hr instead.of $28.;) J/K

Though, as anti-union as I am, the hourly pay-cut only needs to be 15-20%, this **** 40-45% is a crock. I'd rather go from $28/hr to $20-22 and still have a decent job than let them BK and start over without me and pay some illegals(j/k) $12/hr.

markmarc

Back to the main point.....I'll make sure to buy their cookies!!

ND13

markmarc wrote: »

Back to the main point.....I'll make sure to buy their cookies!!

Of course, we eat Archways fairly regularly whenwe find them on-sale.

Jstas

Lance makes these snack cracker packs and they have one called Smokehouse Cheddar on Captain's Wafers...yeah, you can take your Austin Cheese and Crackers and stick 'em where the sun don't shine! Those Lance Smokehouse Cheddar jobbies are the snack crackers I've ever had! Not so easy to find though. It's a shame. Cause they are like "OMG! It's party in my mouth and everyone's invited!" Only it's not a lame party where a bunch of underage kids get drunk and puke on the carpet.

Oh, Lance also has these Pecan Pies that are probably positively awful for you but they are pretty good, for the usual vending machine crap in a bag.

sucks2beme

Nothing like Archway. I'm very happy to see them back in production.
Oatmeal raison, anyone?

dorokusai

Jstas wrote: »

Lance makes these snack cracker packs and they have one called Smokehouse Cheddar on Captain's Wafers...yeah, you can take your Austin Cheese and Crackers and stick 'em where the sun don't shine! Those Lance Smokehouse Cheddar jobbies are the snack crackers I've ever had! Not so easy to find though. It's a shame. Cause they are like "OMG! It's party in my mouth and everyone's invited!" Only it's not a lame party where a bunch of underage kids get drunk and puke on the carpet.

Oh, Lance also has these Pecan Pies that are probably positively awful for you but they are pretty good, for the usual vending machine crap in a bag.

I would appreciate a heads up next time you have a party in your mouth.

lightman1

Wat to go Lance! I live near Charlotte and you can find darn near every cracker and cookie they make here. Jstas, I'll bootleg some Smokehouse cheddars your way....for a small fee of course. :cool:
It is nice to hear some good news for some people who were sweating the bills at this time of year.

obieone

Reminds me of the Polartec story, up at Malden Mills. They're still in business.

shack

madmax wrote:

Best of all, we get more cookies!

COOKIES!!!!!!!!

madmax

Just a word on posting things like this. If the name "Lance" or "Archway" were in the title it would be much more likely to show up in a google search by non-polkies. Who knows, may even get a newbie to look at polk products!

danger boy

now that's a product I can support, over and over again. I'm a cookie-holic! bring on the cold milk and cookies.

Jstas

madmax wrote: »

Just a word on posting things like this. If the name "Lance" or "Archway" were in the title it would be much more likely to show up in a google search by non-polkies. Who knows, may even get a newbie to look at polk products!

????

mrbigbluelight

Early B. wrote: »

Great marketing strategy.

Kind of like Polk Customer Service: do something nice, do it right, and .......... that'll fool 'em !! :rolleyes:

dorokusai wrote: »

I would appreciate a heads up next time you have a party in your mouth.

Oh, I take it you have plans on com...... uhm ..... comi ...... err ..... "attending" ?

madmax wrote: »

Just a word on posting things like this. If the name "Lance" or "Archway" were in the title it would be much more likely to show up in a google search by non-polkies. Who knows, may even get a newbie to look at polk products!

I'd suggest : "Britney Spears/ Beyonce Obama Free **** Video : Y'all should go out and buy every package of Archway and Lance cookies you can"