PITTSBURGH — The Kraft Heinz Co. plans to lay off 2,500 employees working for the company in the United States and Canada. Approximately 700 positions will be eliminated at the company’s co-headquarters in Northfield, Ill.
“As we work to build something special at The Kraft Heinz Co., the leadership team has examined every aspect of our business to ensure we are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible,” said Michael Mullen, senior vice-president of corporate and government affairs. “We have developed a new streamlined structure for our organization to simplify, strengthen and leverage the company’s scale. This new structure eliminates duplication to enable faster decision-making, increased accountability and accelerated growth.”
Earlier this week, the new company issued its first quarterly earnings report. The Kraft Heinz Co. said sales fell 4.9% at Kraft Foods Group, Inc. and 4.1% at H.J. Heinz Holding Corp. prior to the completion of the merger in July. Lower prices and weak demand hurt Kraft in the quarter, while Heinz’s results were affected by unfavorable currency translation.
