Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch has informed the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity about its decision to lay off approximately 400 workers across five of its facilities in Michigan. This action is a direct consequence of a severe outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
Stephanie Kempa, the Chief Human Resources Officer at Herbruck’s, explained in a letter to the agency that the company’s hen population at several Ionia County farms has been significantly affected by the highly contagious and deadly avian influenza.
The letter detailed that the layoffs will impact three facilities in Saranac and two in Lake Odessa, starting May 15.
“This substantial reduction in workforce is anticipated to be mostly temporary, with some permanent layoffs,” Kempa noted. “The affected employees include both hourly and salaried staff, as well as contractors. We plan to rehire many of these positions as our hen population is replenished and egg production resumes.”
Job roles affected by these layoffs include positions in accounting, coordination, clerical work, feed mill operations, fertilizer management, human resources, maintenance, management, marketing, processing, production, quality assurance, sanitation, supervision, and warehousing. All affected employees have been notified of their layoff dates, with many expecting a temporary layoff.
In a statement to WZZM13, Herbruck’s emphasized: “In light of the ongoing efforts to manage the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in collaboration with state and federal regulators, we have made the difficult decision to lay off employees at impacted facilities where work is currently unavailable. We expect the majority of these layoffs to be temporary, intending to rehire as many positions as possible once we can safely and swiftly repopulate our facilities and resume egg production. We recognize the stress this situation places on our team members and are working with state partners to provide support, resources, and assistance.”
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), three commercial egg-laying flocks in Ionia County were confirmed to be affected by HPAI in April 2024. APHIS reported these infections on April 3, April 9, and April 16, which collectively impacted 6,498,700 hens. However, APHIS did not specify which companies were involved.
