5-20-15 ripon cookie plant closing-reaction

Ripon city officials are meeting with the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation Tuesday to discuss the next step following an announcement that ConAgra Foods is closing one of its cookie plants in Ripon.  FCEDC president Steve Jenkins says the news came as a complete surprise.  “I think its unfortunate that ConAgra did not notify Ripon or the county or us that they were getting ready to make that announcement,”  Jenkins told WFDL news.  “It was a surprise to everyone.”   Jenkins says its important to work off the facts, not off emotion.  “Sometimes you have companies that pull a stunt like this and what they’re after are some concessions either from the workforce or from the community,”  Jenkins said.  “We want to make sure that this is a pure business decision and the reason why it was a business decision.”  Ripon chamber of commerce director Jason Mansmith says he plans to meet with Jenkins and the city administrator and mayor Tuesday.  Mansmith says the company was incorporated in 1930.  “What makes it so difficult for people to deal with over here is that there’s a great sense of pride in Ripon about the work that that factory does, the product they produce.  There’s generations of families that have worked there,”  Mansmith said.  The layoffs would affect 300 full time employees in the plant that makes soft-bake and enrobed cookies.