Hundreds Losing Jobs As Iconic Philly Bakery Moves To South Jersey
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - You can smell the aroma of baking bread on 55th Street in Southwest Philadelphia, but not for much longer.
Amoroso's Baking Company has officially announced they are closing their Philadelphia bakery and moving to Bellmawr, New Jersey.
The layoffs will begin in October and by the end of the year, the company will cease all operations at the facility on 55th street.
Amoroso's has been located on 55th street for more than 50 years. A spokeswoman says the company has outgrown the facility and is in need of an update to sustain future growth.
"I knew it was coming so I put aside money for a rainy day for a reason. Things happen you know, it's the way the economy is, some jobs go some stay," said employee, Akmal Job.
About 200 people are being laid off, but they're able to apply for new jobs at the facility in Camden County.
Peter Brown has worked at the bakery for 15 years. He says he's not sure what he's going to do:
"If I do get a job there, I'll maybe have to move there, just because instead of coming back and forth every day, it's gonna be--especially in wintertime and stuff like that--it's gonna be hard."
Brown says, however, he and his coworkers did see this coming:
"They told us about a year or two ago that they were closing. So it wasn't a surprise. We were expecting this."
Employees are encouraged to apply for positions at the company's new facility in the industrial park section of Bellmawr, Camden County.
"Yeah I'm going to apply … If they don't take me somebody will take me. That's how I look at it. I keep a positive attitude on life," Job said.
Amoroso's and Ginsburg Bakery of Atlantic City are opening a new joint facility in Bellmawr, taking advantage of New Jersey tax credits.
