A manufacturing center in Seattle will close its doors. Dawn Food Products Inc., a commercial bakery based in Michigan, has confirmed the closure of its manufacturing facility in the city’s South Lake Union district, resulting in staff layoffs that will impact 55 employees at that site. The process is expected to commence on Sept. 1, according to a report from the Puget Sound Business Journal. However, a spokesperson told the Business Journal that the affected employees were informed about the layoffs several months ago.
Dawn’s facility is located at 1001 John St.
“Our primary focus is to provide support to the Seattle team members during this transition,” stated the spokesperson to the Business Journal. “The location is supported by our union partners, and we are collaborating with them on a plan to provide financial assistance, job placement services, and explore other opportunities within Dawn.”
Dawn Foods is a wholesale manufacturer and distributor of baked goods, ingredient mixes and various bakery products. The company was established in 1920 and operates 16 distribution centers across the country, including one in Fife, located at 2106 70th Ave. E. The Fife facility will not be affected by the layoffs.
The closure of Dawn’s Seattle facility is a result of the expiration of their lease, according to the report. Property owner Mack Real Estate Development intends to construct a 43-story, 415-unit apartment building on the site. The architect for the project is CollinsWoerman, a Seattle-based firm. The exact date for the commencement of demolition is currently unknown.
Dawn was the owner of the building until 2006, at which point it was sold to Alexandria Real Estate Equities for a sum of $5.6 million. Later in 2014, Mack acquired the property for $11.5 million and subsequently revealed plans for the construction of the tower in the following year.
