Hold the Twinkies and Ding Dongs. Hostess Announces Detroit area layoffs.

**Lowell** · May-11-12, 08:51 AM

But then again maybe it is good news for one of the nation's metros with the biggest belt-lines?

TROY [[WWJ/AP) - Hostess Brands Inc. has told Michigan officials that it could lay off all of its 381 employees at 20 locations in the state if the company liquidates as part of its bankruptcy restructuring.

Hostess announced it sent notices last week to 18,500 employees nationwide, according to a report on Mlive.com. The Irving, Texas-based maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January.

A Michigan government website says Hostess notified the state of the layoffs Monday. They include 65 jobs each at locations in Troy and Detroit, 57 in Livonia and 44 in the Grand Rapids suburb of Wyoming.

From WWJ/AP via CBS news

**douglasm** · May-11-12, 03:54 PM

Nothing new here. Hostess [[or Interstate Brands) has been in trouble for years to the point that they laid off most of their route drivers in many parts of the country and have contracted out delivery [[and licensed the brand name) to some local or regional bakerys.

Basically what happened was the bottom fell out of the business due to store brand's les expensive price.

**poobert** · May-12-12, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by douglasm

Nothing new here. Hostess [[or Interstate Brands) has been in trouble for years to the point that they laid off most of their route drivers in many parts of the country and have contracted out delivery [[and licensed the brand name) to some local or regional bakerys.

Basically what happened was the bottom fell out of the business due to store brand's les expensive price.

Well, plus they've been making the same disgusting shit for decades.

I have a very strong sweet tooth but when I get a craving I never reach for a Hostess. They're bland and artificial tasting. They all taste virtually exactly the same. It isn't 1950 anymore; peoples' tastes have changed.

Witness the crowd at Avalon dropping $20 on a couple loafs of bread [[actual bread) and baked goods that are actually baked. Certainly not health food but not cooked up a lab somewhere.

**Gannon** · May-12-12, 12:27 PM

AND the line at the Menonite ladies' booth at Eastern Market! Those cinamon buns are the yum.

Sorry to hear of Hostess' ills, but I agree. They've been going on for a while trying to sell chemistry instead of food. Good riddance.

**Danny** · May-12-12, 12:50 PM

Hostess cakes, pies and cookies, donuts etc.. are very expensive. While Little Debbie made their snacks dirt cheap. Hostess must catch up the sweey competition or die. It's all part of capitalism.

**wolverine** · May-12-12, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

Hostess cakes, pies and cookies, donuts etc.. are very expensive. While Little Debbie made their snacks dirt cheap. Hostess must catch up the sweey competition or die. It's all part of capitalism.

Since their products are gross this isn't surprising. Sucks about people losing their job though. That's never a good thing.

**Danny** · May-12-12, 01:21 PM

I do miss that chocolate pie! There might be some in your local liquor store self.

**Roq** · May-12-12, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by wolverine

Since their products are gross this isn't surprising. Sucks about people losing their job though. That's never a good thing.

Yeah I hate seeing people lose their jobs as well but damn Hostess, your product is vile.

I wonder why they haven't tried to adapt and offer things people over 12 would actually enjoy.

**DLife** · May-12-12, 08:48 PM

I love those little chocolate donuts!!

**poobert** · May-12-12, 09:27 PM

http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2012/01/1...in-bankruptcy/

This pisses me off.

Hey assholes, make a non-shitty product that a normal person would want to purchase and you'd be able to pay your employees and not go bankrupt. I wouldn't use one of your radioactive turds as a doorstop, let alone ingest one.

**Zacha341** · May-12-12, 09:34 PM

Hah! Yep, at the gas station along side the chem laden honey bun which consists of 90% chemicals 10% honey somewhere!

Originally Posted by Danny

I do miss that chocolate pie! There might be some in your local liquor store self.

**Zacha341** · May-12-12, 09:37 PM

Yeah I think they had a bakery on Oakland Blvd near Hamilton close to where I worked once and the chemical stench put me off from that stuff. Did not notice it as a kid but later the nasty chem taste made their products inedible. Too bad they did not adapt or offer more things with less chems and fillers.

Originally Posted by douglasm

Basically what happened was the bottom fell out of the business due to store brand's les expensive price.

**Downriviera** · May-13-12, 09:41 AM

Didn't they get forced to change the name Ding Dongs to King Don's years ago? Whats the shelf life of a Twinkie, something like 10,000 years.

**rooms222** · May-13-12, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by Downriviera

Didn't they get forced to change the name Ding Dongs to King Don's years ago? Whats the shelf life of a Twinkie, something like 10,000 years.

from wikipedia

Ring Ding / Ding Dong conflict

Drake's Ring Dings

The company marketed the snacks on the East Coast as Big Wheels, to avoid confusion with the Ring Ding, a similar [[and pre-existing) treat by Drake's Cakes. The names were consolidated in 1987, when a short-lived merger of Drake's with Hostess' parent company [[then Continental Baking Company) briefly resolved the Ring Ding/Ding Dong conflict. When the merged company broke up, however, Hostess was forced to cease, once again, using the Ding Dongs name in areas where Ring Dings were available. The compromise sound-alike name King Dons lasted until Interstate Bakeries Corporation, which had recently merged with Hostess' parent company, bought Drake's in 1998. The Hostess product is now sold under the name Ding Dongs throughout the United States. However, the snack is still sold as the King Don in Canada.

**East Detroit** · May-13-12, 10:30 AM

While everyone attacks Hostess and pretends that Americans making better nutritional choices is the cause of their problems.... I will point out that Americans are really just racing to the bottom, buying what is cheapest even if it is worse for them in the long run. Sure, people aren't buying Hostess Fruit Pies.. instead, they are buying a store brand ripoff of the same form factor but which contains way more dough and way less fruit.

**Rochelle St.** · May-13-12, 10:58 AM

How come they dont make Chocodiles anymore? Those were good. Sorry for the people being laid off.

SteveJ · May-13-12, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by East Detroit

While everyone attacks Hostess and pretends that Americans making better nutritional choices is the cause of their problems.... I will point out that Americans are really just racing to the bottom, buying what is cheapest even if it is worse for them in the long run. Sure, people aren't buying Hostess Fruit Pies.. instead, they are buying a store brand ripoff of the same form factor but which contains way more dough and way less fruit.

Yup. Americans are a bunch of fat pigs. They talk a big game in public and at work and then they weight 250 lbs. I wonder how many people on this board are overweight.