What will happen to Hostess and its beloved products?

[turbo]

Sounds like it's over
http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20121116&id=15805307

It may be over. There is a Hostess plant in Biddeford, ME and the company tried to replace bakers with temp help and managers. Unfortunately for Hostess, the temp company turned down their contract, saying that they were not in the business of union-busting.

http://www.pressherald.com/news/Hostess-looks-for-replacements-for-striking-Biddeford-workers.html

[quote = Rock Coast Personnel]“The economy’s tough enough right now. We don’t support breaking the union,” DiGiulio said. “We also have clients this could be an affront to, so we turned this down.”[/quote]

We should note that the striking "bakers" are actually skilled workers who operate complex machinery, specialized to make the treats that Hostess sells. After watching my grandmother die of complications of diabetes, I was backed off eating anything sugary. Still, I understand why some folks might mourn the loss of their favorite sweet pastries.

We have occasional spots on the local news about Hostess. The bakers' union rep claims that Hostess had announced plans to close 9 plants in their restructuring plan, and that their claims of closing 3 plants due to the strike was a move designed to intimidate the bakers' union. I don't know how valid this claim is, though having been on a union negotiating team as a papermaker, I have seen public pronunciations made by well-heeled companies that attempted to subvert popular opinion during negotiations or strikes.

 

[jtbell]

http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20121116&id=15805307

This is bigger than I thought it was:

[Hostess's] brands include Wonder, Nature's Pride, Dolly Madison, Drake's, Butternut, Home Pride and Merita, but it is probably best known for Twinkies - basically a cream-filled sponge cake.

Many of these brands will probably re-surface under new owners after the names are sold off in the liquidation. Twinkies II, anyone?

 

[IMP]

I hope this doesn't bring down the ban-hammer down on me but:
This adds weight to the whole "the world is ending December 2012" doesn't it? I mean, no more Twinkies the month before? This is a bad sign...

 

[turbo]

Start checking the clearance stores, Evo. Hostess is going to liquidate unsold inventory, and maybe your orange sweets will be there. If you get extras, put them in the freezer!

 

[Evo]

Another case of union workers cutting off their nose to spite their face, IMO.

 

[lenell]

Inside Edition has a recipe for Twinkies on their website.

 

[nsaspook]

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/nationalize-twinkie-industry/cJz0ngJR

There is hope. :!)

 

[Evo]

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/nationalize-twinkie-industry/cJz0ngJR

There is hope. :!)

LOL. Not going to happen.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Darn, a company that makes all kinds of crp I can't eat is going out of business? But I'm as nostolgic as the next guy. It is hard to imagine a world without twinkies.

I hear that most women prefer Ding Dongs and most men prefer Ho Hos. Is there any truth to that?

Spoiler

Yes, you do have to allow your mind to roam to the gutter for that one...

 

[nsaspook]

I hear that most women prefer Ding Dongs and most men prefer Ho Hos. Is there any truth to that?

Spoiler

Yes, you do have to allow your mind to roam to the gutter for that one...

You owe me a keyboard.

 

[edward]

There are already a number of twinkie sellers on Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1311&_nkw=hostess+twinkies&_sacat=0&_from=R40

WOW Evo they even have orange cupcakes.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...kw=hostess+orange+cupcakes&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Only $19.99 for a box of eight, buy now for the holidays.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hostess-Orange-Cup-Cakes-8-ct-box-/140887863688?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20cd923188

 

[jtbell]

Serendipitous success! :!)

I happened to go to Wal-Mart today and it occurred to me to check out their snack-cake section. Sure enough, there's a nearly empty Hostess section. I snagged one of the last two 8-cake boxes of Golden Cupcakes. Same shape and chocolate frosting as on the Cupcakes I ate as a kid, but the cake part seems to be the same as a Twinkie except for the shape (instead of chocolate). Maybe it's the same as in the orange-frosted Cupcakes. I figured $2.50 was worth it for the nostalgia.

There were also several bags of small donuts (both powdered-sugar and chocolate-frosted ones) but those are pretty generic.

 

[turbo]

Collateral damage in Maine. JJ Nissen runs local bakeries and distribution centers, and they are owned by Hostess' parent company.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I went out this morning to get one last taste of Twinkies before they all disappear, but when I got to the Woolworth's, they were shuttered. So I'm getting into my Studebaker and heading for the airport where I hope to get the next Pan Am flight to Constantinople. Wish me luck.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I find myself in rare agreement with George Will and Newt Gingrich. Products like Twinkies and Ding Dongs are proven products. Hard to say what will stay and what will go but not everything is going to disappear. I would expect that most of their leader products will be produced by someone. I seriously doubt Twinkies will go away. There is probably an inside battle going on right now with various companies scrambling to produce these.

I have to wonder if this was more about unions or age. I have worked in a number of factories for old companies like Hostess [automation work], Granny Goose being the worst example, and some of these places were atrocious! Most food production facilities are immaculate but there are a few horrific exceptions to the rule and I would bet ding dongs to donuts that Hostess had big problems internally. The biggest problem is often the equipment costs. Entire factories can get out of date with the cost of replacment too high to survive. Slowly the environment degenerates, failure and production losses increase, the company starts losing money, morale declines, attitudes change, no one gives a damn anymore, and eventually the company is doomed. It is a fairly familar pattern in my world.

 

[turbo]

Slowly the environment degenerates, failure and production losses increase, the company starts losing money, morale declines, attitudes change, no one gives a damn anymore, and eventually the company is doomed. It is a fairly familar pattern in my world.

That is true in lots of of manufacturing, Ivan. I have watched mill after mill defer capital improvements to save money. Generally, the management (well-heeled, usually) dominates the media and starts pointing fingers. It's a really sad stage of decline, and you can see the job-losses coming, along with the financial ruin of the towns. Sad, but predictable.

 

[edward]

Mexican Bakery Grupo Bimbo has their eye on Hostess.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/17/15245611-mexican-company-bimbo-may-be-eyeing-twinkies?lite

 

[jtbell]

Bimbo... Hostess... hmmm...

 

[Evo]

I've seen bimbo bread, they really need to rethink that name.

 

[jtbell]

For those who can't wait for someone to resuscitate Hostess Cupcakes:

http://apassionateplate.com/homemade-hostess-cupcakes/ (the chocolate kind)

 

[edward]

I've seen bimbo bread, they really need to rethink that name.

Actually a subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo has already expanded into the U.S. market. They have a number of well know U.S. company's. Sara Lee is probably the most well known.

http://www.bimbobakeriesusa.com/

 

[Evo]

Actually a subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo has already expanded into the U.S. market. They have a number of well know U.S. company's. Sara Lee is probably the most well known.

http://www.bimbobakeriesusa.com/

I'm referring to their line of bread that is actually named Bimbo, it's sold here. I had to do a double take the first time I saw it, I thought it was a joke.

I was not aware that they owned so many brands though, thanks for the link. Perhaps I should contact them about continuing the orange cupcakes.

 

[jim mcnamara]

Bimbo is a clown, like the Nova was a no-sell chevy in Latin America.
If you don't see the Spanish: no va = does not go

Hey Jimmy, gimme a ride in your Studebaker. I'm not worried. Some company or another will succumb to business sense and start making twinkies et al again. Meanwhile, it's time travel or go to ebay:

$US137 for about $US10 worth of twinkies:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hostess-Twinkies-5-Boxes-of-10-Individually-Packaged-Sponge-Cakes-FREE-SHIP-/271105156085

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

the Nova was a no-sell chevy in Latin America.

Not even close. Snopes

 

[jim mcnamara]

Not even close enough for hand-grenades. My bad...

 

[AlephZero]

Another case of union workers cutting off their nose to spite their face, IMO.

The judge hearing the bankruptcy proceedings seems to agree with you.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20402361

"Many people, myself included, have serious questions as to the logic behind this strike," said Judge Robert Drain, of the Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York.

 

[edward]

Hostess had financial problems that went much deeper than the unions. In the long run Hostess finally reached their expiration date.

 

[jtbell]

If you can actually find some Twinkies now, here's the perfect thing to do with them:

http://www.courant.com/features/too-shea/hc-shea-boomers-1121-20121121,0,1549751.column (Hartford Courant)

 

[CFDFEAGURU]

Now I can associate completely with Woody Harrelson's character in Zombie Land.

 

[Astronuc]

Bankrupt Hostess to Give Execs Bonuses - but doesn't have enough cash on hand to pay retirement benefits (ostensibly under contract) to some former employees
http://gma.yahoo.com/bankrupt-hostess-execs-bonuses-094718695--abc-news-topstories.html

 

[turbo]

"I was qualified to draw my pension, with no notice I lost about 70 or 75 percent of it I didn't work 34 years to lose it," Carroll said.

Unfortunately, the workers are treated like dead weight, and the managers that ran the company into the ground get nice bonuses. Hostess has bakeries, distribution centers, and distribution routes here in Maine, so it won't be painless.

My wife and I don't buy sweets, and I have never been a fan of Wonder bread, so no loss to us, but we know people that work for J.J. Nissen (owned by Hostess' parent company) and the collapse will hurt them. One guy in particular spent a year or two building up his delivery route to the river-rafting companies north of here. The rafting companies had expanded into the snowmobile rental business (including lodging and X-country skiing) so they had year-round demand for hot dog rolls, hamburg buns, dinner rolls, bread, etc. Color that gone if J.J. Nissen goes under.