Moorhead-based
American Crystal Sugar Co. is cutting 24 management jobs, the
company announced Friday.
The company said the cuts are necessary because selling prices
for sugar have dropped to 20-year lows. Crystal blames
domestic oversupply and increased imports for the slump.
These are certainly difficult times in the sugar industry.
Its important for American Crystal to continuously analyze
the structure and size of its workforce and make efficiency
decisions that allow us to compete more effectively as an
organization, said James Horvath, president and chief
executive officer of Crystal, the nations largest sugar
beet producer.
Fifteen of the employees accepted an early retirement package
earlier this month. Another nine positions were eliminated
Friday, the company said.
Crystal said the 24 positions were part of its non-union
management workforce, but didnt disclose details.
The
company now has about 1,700 employees, of whom 264 dont
belong to a union.
Craig Hertsgaard, a Kindred, N.D., farmer and co-op member,
said sugar companies nationwide are struggling with low prices
and looking for ways to operate more efficiently.
Given that, he said, the job cuts at Crystal arent
surprising.
American Crystal is owned by about 3,000 members in the Red
River Valley.
It operates sugar factories in Moorhead, East Grand Forks,
Minn., and Crookston, Minn., Dayton, N.D. and Hillsboro, N.D.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jonathan Knutson at (701)
241-5530 or jknutson@forumcomm.com
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