Gelato Petrini, a local frozen dessert manufacturer, has announced significant layoffs at its Delray Beach facility, citing “unforeseen business circumstances” related to machinery upgrades. The company, an affiliate of Miami-based Heinlein Foods USA, terminated 90 workers, including 35 full-time and 55 part-time employees.
The layoffs were confirmed in a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice filed with Florida’s State Rapid Response Program. According to Gelato Petrini’s Chief Operating Officer, Koby Cohen, the terminations occurred on September 20 and are expected to be permanent for most affected workers.
The company was forced to make the difficult decision due to an extensive machinery line upgrade that exceeded the time they could sustain keeping the employees on the payroll. “It took longer than anticipated, and unfortunately, we couldn’t carry the workforce during the process,” Cohen told the Business Journal.
The majority of the affected employees worked in assembly positions. Gelato Petrini, which once employed 170 people at its peak, hopes to rehire many of the laid-off workers once the upgrade is completed, which is expected at the beginning of the new year.