General Mills to shut Missouri pizza crust plant in cost-cutting drive
Production from the affected facilities will be transitioned to other General Mills locations.
USA – General Mills has announced plans to close its TNT Pizza Crust manufacturing facility in St. Charles, Missouri by June 2026, as part of a sweeping supply chain restructuring initiative aimed at boosting long-term competitiveness.
The move is part of a broader strategy that includes shutting down two pet food plants in Joplin, Missouri, acquired through the company’s US$1.45 billion purchase of Whitebridge Pet Brands in 2024.
The St. Charles facility, which General Mills acquired in 2022 through its purchase of TNT Crust LLC, produces frozen pizza crusts for foodservice distributors, retailers, and regional pizza chains.
The closure aligns with the company’s multi-year global transformation initiative, approved in May 2025, which seeks to consolidate operations, reduce costs, and streamline capacity across its manufacturing footprint.
About US$49 million of these charges will be recognized in the second quarter of fiscal 2026.
The full restructuring effort is slated for completion by the end of fiscal year 2029.
Production from the affected facilities will be transitioned to other General Mills locations.
While the company has not disclosed the exact number of jobs impacted, it stated that TNT Pizza Crust employees will be supported in exploring roles at other company sites.
Similarly, most Whitebridge employees are expected to be offered positions at existing Joplin operations.
Cost savings and restructuring charges
General Mills expects to record about US$82 million in restructuring charges from the closures and the consolidation of other unnamed facilities.
In May, the company approved a multi-year “global transformation initiative” designed to streamline operations and boost efficiency, estimating US$70 million in severance-related expenses.
“While this news represents hard choices, they are necessary to fund product innovation, create compelling consumer value, and position General Mills for long-term success,” the company said in a statement to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
The move follows a difficult year for General Mills. For the full fiscal year ending May 25, the company reported a 2% drop in net sales to US$19.5 billion, with organic sales also down 2%.
In the first quarter of its current financial year, sales fell more steeply: reported revenues dropped 7% to US$4.5 billion, while organic revenues slipped 3%.
A long-term bet on growth
General Mills, the maker of Cheerios, Yoplait, and Blue Buffalo, said it plans to reinvest some of the cost savings to stimulate sales volumes.
“So far, so good. We strengthened our pound share in eight of our top ten categories and now we’re holding pound share in pet,” chairman and CEO Jeff Harmening said when discussing first-quarter results.
The closures in Missouri are part of a broader industry trend, with major food companies under pressure to manage inflation, shifting consumer demand, and global supply chain constraints.
For General Mills, the restructuring marks another step in its multi-year plan to modernise its operations and refocus resources on growth areas.
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