By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — Bimbo Bakeries announced to employees Wednesday that the Stroehmann bakery on North Second Street in Olean would close in three months, furloughing more than 80 workers.
New emissions controls all but eliminated the aroma of fresh-baked bread that once wafted from the plant. In 90 days, the jobs will be gone too.
The plant has been making bread in Olean for more than 100 years. It was built in 1915. It was one of two plants in New York Bimbo announced would close. Its Auburn plant in Central New York employs 49.
Olean Mayor Bill Aiello said he learned about the upcoming closing on Wednesday from the state Labor Department’s WARN email.
“It’s sad for the Olean and other families of those who work there,” Aiello told the Olean Start Thursday. He said there were no rumors of the closing as often happens when there is bad news.
Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency Executive Director Corey Wiktor said Wednesday that Bimbo, a subsidiary of Mexico-based Grupo Bimbo, has been closing bakeries across the country and shifting production to other sites it owns.
Great Lakes Cheese Co., which plans to open its new $800 million cheese plant in Franklinville early next year and is actively seeking to hire more than 200 new production workers, Wiktor said.
The IDA plans to conduct a job fair with Great Lakes Cheese Co. for Stroehmann’s workers in the coming weeks, he added.
Aiello said the city has a previously scheduled job fair it is sponsoring with the Cattaraugus-Allegany Workforce Investment Board on Sept. 12 in Lincoln Park.
“Cutco is still hiring,” Aiello said. “It’s good to hear that Great Lakes Cheese may also have some jobs for the Stroehmanns workers.”
