Gen.Mills lays off 581, closing 2 plants

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., Aug. 28 (UPI) -- General Mills Inc. said Tuesday it would close a frozen-waffle plant in Pennsylvania and a frozen-dough plant in Canada, laying off 581 people.

The food-products company, which acquired the plants when it took over Pillsbury Co. in 2001, said it was getting out of the frozen-waffle business and would transfer production of frozen dough to other General Mills plants.

The Allentown, Pa., plant produced Pillsbury brand frozen waffles, the suburban Minneapolis company said.

The Allentown plant will close by Oct. 27 and the Trenton, Ontario, plant by Nov. 30, the company said.

General Mills -- whose many U.S. brands also include Betty Crocker, Progresso, Haagen-Dazs, Green Giant and Cheerios -- recorded a $10 million charge for the Allentown plant closure, including $4 million for severance payments, and a $24 million charge for the Trenton plant closure, including $7 million for severance payments, a U.S. regulatory filing said.