Sara Lee had previously announced that it was to close the Texan plants in September this year, but the Flowers acquisition will not, it seems, mean a reprieve for workers at the plant.
George E. Deese, president and chief executive officer of Flowers Foods, said that the company would use the bakery equipment acquired from Sara Lee as the need arose, but that Flowers' new Texan bakery, in Denton, would allow it to meet immediate needs for additional production capacity.
"The transaction also gives us the potential to serve additional foodservice and private label customers," Deese added.
Flowers Foods is one of the leading producers and marketers of packaged bakery foods for retail and foodservice customers in the US, operating 34 bakeries that produce a wide range of bakery products marketed throughout the southeastern, southwestern, and mid-Atlantic states.
Its brands include Nature's Own, Cobblestone Mill, BlueBird, Mrs. Freshley's, and European Bakers.