ConAgra moves snacks HQ from Edina to Illinois

Article by: MIKE HUGHLETT , Star Tribune
Updated: July 29, 2010 - 8:56 PM

The food giant closed its France Avenue office, moving some jobs to suburban Chicago and others to Bloomington.

0
comments
resize text
print
buy reprints

Tweet
share

email
Email share

your name

your email

recipients email

+ add a comment add a comment

ConAgra Foods Inc. has moved the headquarters of its snacks segment from Edina to suburban Chicago, cutting 120 Twin Cities jobs in the process.

The company closed its office at 7700 France Av. S. earlier this month; its lease is up in August. Omaha-based ConAgra's snack food products include Slim Jim meat sticks, Orville Redenbacher popcorn and Act II microwave popcorn.

The closure of the Edina snacks office was prompted by consolidation of the company's corporate offices, said Dave Jackson, a ConAgra spokesman. Sixty-five Edina employees were given offers to move primarily to Naperville, Ill.; 30 accepted.

Also, 55 workers based in the France Avenue office were moved to a smaller office in Bloomington. Those employees are on ConAgra's sales team, serving Twin Cities customers such as Supervalu and Target.

The snack food office's closing marks ConAgra's second exodus from the Twin Cities in recent years. In 2007, it shuttered two popcorn plants in the Twin Cities, moving production to Mexico and Indiana, while laying off about 200 workers here.

Still, ConAgra has 865 employees in Minnesota, including 530 at a Lakeville plant that makes cereal bars and fruit snacks. It also employs 340 at a pudding and cocoa factory in Menomonie, Wis.

Mike Hughlett • 612-673-7003