Kraft keeps 140 jobs in Tarrytown
Kraft Foods will keep 140 beverage research and development jobs in Tarrytown ”“ they will not be moved to another part of the New York-New Jersey area as the company had previously announced.
Kraft spokesman Mike Mitchell confirmed that the employees were told March 21 that they would stay in Tarrytown.
Kraft announced Jan. 17 that 225 employees in Tarrytown would be moved to the Chicago area by the end of the year. The 140 in beverage research and development were going to stay in the New York area but Kraft did not say where.
There are 440 jobs in Tarrytown. The fate of the remaining 75 is yet to be determined. “These people are in discussions with human resources about their jobs,” Mitchell said.
Laurence Gottlieb, director of the Westchester County Office of Economic Development, said a team from the county executive”™s office had been working with Kraft behind the scenes to see how the county could keep the jobs, which he said are some of the highest paying jobs within Kraft.Â
“Part of the selling effort,” said Gottlieb, “was to talk to them about how we promote the food and beverage industry through the Hudson Valley Food and Beverage Alliance and to talk to them about all the research in the food industry that goes on here. That was important to them.”
Gottlieb said when Kraft settles on a final number of jobs that will remain and decides on what capital improvements will be made to the facility, “then we”™ll see what kind of IDA (Industrial Development Agency) benefits we”™ll give them.”