Nabisco Closure Won't Stop Fair Lawn From 'Moving Forward'

FAIR LAWN, NJ — The borough lost roughly 600 community-based jobs on Friday when the Nabisco plant, long a staple in the area for its steady work and sweet smells, ceased production. But officials say they're committed to get people back to work, and to welcome a new business into the borough.

Mondelez, the company which owns the Fair Lawn Nabisco plant, ceased production operations at the end of last week. This means the last locally produced Oreo cookies have been made, and the remaining employees at the facility are out of a job. Read more: Fair Lawn Nabisco Plant To Bake Last Cookies Friday. What's Next?

Many local officials have responded with a mixture of sadness that stems from a lost piece of nostalgia, and disappointment for those who've lost wages. But Deputy Mayor Josh Reinitz and Councilmember Gail Rottenstrich say the community is committed to moving past the closure.

"While the decision by Mondelez to consolidate its East Coast production facilities from Fair Lawn and Atlanta into its newer Virginia facility is disappointing, once the decision was made Gail and I, along with the rest of the Fair Lawn council proactively focused on assisting former employees transition into new employment opportunities," said Reinitz.

Rottenstrich, who is a member of the Board of the NJ Manufacturers Extension Program, said the move followed a growing trend in the industry.

"It's disheartening to find that Mondelez follows in the pattern of many multinational corporations by showing no such commitment to its local communities," she said.

"But we won't let our disappointment keep us from moving forward."

Rottenstrich and Reinitz say they were among those on the council, and in borough politics, to quickly offer help to those employees who were let go when operations ceased. As of Tuesday, the duo said the council is working with 25 companies who may be able to offer employment opportunities, and said that they've heard from "various companies" that are interested in buying the property "which will not be vacant for long."

The property is valued at $29.3 million, according to Northjersey.com, and Rottenstrich called it "one of the most highly valued industrial properties in the state."

Mondelez officials said they are currently communicating with interested parties and that a number of them have submitted bids.

"The Real Estate process is underway related to the sale of the property. The team is working with those interested buyers who have submitted bids, and will be taking next steps to choose the buyer and proceed with the process in a timely manner," said Laurie Guzzinati, the Mondelez senior director of corporate and government affairs North America.

Rottenstrich and Reinitz are seeking re-election in 2021, and their competition, GOP candidates Cindy Montano and Glen Callons have also joined the chorus of local voices marking July 16 as the end of an era in Fair Lawn. Read more: 'Sad Day For Fair Lawn': GOP Council Candidate On Nabisco Closure

The Republican candidates also used it as an opportunity to take aim at current leadership at the state, county and local level.

"We need to seriously look at the root causes of why companies like Mondelez are choosing to leave New Jersey, why our families are uprooting for better opportunities elsewhere. There is a failure in leadership here in New Jersey, Bergen County, and Fair Lawn," said Montano.

Mondelez officials said the site in Fair Lawn, and another in Atlanta, were no longer considered "strategic assets from a geographic footprint perspective." More than that, the facilities are outdated.

The Fair Lawn facility opened in 1958 and, the company said, faces operational challenges due to aging infrastructure and lagging production capabilities. Rather than spend the "significant" investment to update these facilities, the company believes resources are better spent elsewhere.

One site in Richmond, Virginia, will remain the East Coast hub of operations for the brand and will take over the Oreo production currently being done in Fair Lawn.

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