Three Valley businesses face an uncertain future as Hostess Brands Inc. plans its bankruptcy restructuring. This month, the maker of classic baked goods Twinkie and Ding Dongs, served nearly 19,000 employees nationwide with WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notices, with possible layoffs and closures taking place as soon as July. Some 65 employees from Hostess outlets in Camarillo, Glendale and Chatsworth outlets will be impacted should the facilities close. The announcement of possible lay offs come just months after the company’s January filing for Chapter 11 relief, listing a debt of $850 million. Gilda Villa, 56, a long-standing employee of the Hostess Bakery Outlet in Chatsworth said “she has no idea what is going to happen” and has not been told whether the facility will close or not. She said customers are constantly inquiring about the fate of the shop, which has been a mainstay in the Valley for years. “Customers don’t want us to close,” Villa said. “They hate what’s going on.” Management at the Camarillo store declined to comment and calls made to the Glendale outlet were not returned. The complete story will run in the May 28 issue of the San Fernando Valley Business Journal.
