Freehold, NJ Nestle plant with over 200 workers faces uncertain fate

🔸 Longtime employer in NJ faces uncertain future at one location

🔸 Nestlé opened manufacturing facility in Freehold in the 1940s

🔸 A spokesperson questioned the site's ability to meet future demands, a report says

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — A longtime food and beverage manufacturing facility in Monmouth County has been getting uneasy attention, as employees of Nestlé were reportedly asked to pitch ideas for continuing work at the Freehold site.

Since 1948, the Jerseyville Road facility has been owned and operated by Nestlé.

The roughly 450,000-square-foot plant includes about 227 employees, as reported by the Asbury Park Press, which quoted a company spokesperson on the site’s uncertain fate.

"As Nestlé evolves to meet consumer needs now and in the future, we must ensure our manufacturing network is dynamic and set up to support our business," according to the report, which added “the factory is limited based on its age, flexibility and ability to meet growing consumer demand in a cost-effective way."

Request for comment submitted to Nestlé by New Jersey 101.5 was not immediately answered on Thursday.

🌐 Nestlé locations in NJ include Bridgewater headquarters

Among Nestlé business locations in the state listed online, six of them were sales or regional offices — in Avenel, Burlington, Lincoln Park, Madison and Rockaway.

Another was a headquarters in Bridgewater along Routes 202/206.

The Bridgewater office became home to the Nestlé Health Science US headquarters in 2018, in addition to Nestlé Product Technology Center and IT team.

There was also a distribution center in Carteret and a research and development site in Florham Park.

Nestlé Beverage has more than 1,400 employees throughout its manufacturing facilities and corporate office.

In addition to the Freehold site, the other U.S. manufacturing facilities have been in Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, according to the company website.

☕ NJ Nestlé history: Smell of coffee remembered by Springsteen, other locals

Springsteen described the smell of “moist coffee grounds” coming from the Nestlé plant during rainy weather as he grew up in town. He used the story during his one-man Broadway show, also taped for Netflix.

In addition to Nescafé (Clasico and Taster’s Choice), Nestlé Beverage’s brands include Nestlé Hot Cocoa, Coffee-Mate, Nestea, Carnation Malted Milk,Juicy Juice, Nesquik and Ovaltine.

Nestlé Beverage is part of Nestlé USA, owned By Nestlé S.A. Of Vevey, Switzerland — the world’s largest food company with a focus on Nutrition, Health & Wellness.

Globally, Nestlé operates more than 340 factories in 77 countries.

There have been more than a dozen NJ locations, many of them distribution or manufacturing facilities, dealing with grim realities around NJ since last year.

Erin Vogt is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at erin.vogt@townsquaremedia.com

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