Bluestem Brands Distribution plant closing

Published 1:59 pm Wednesday, July 2, 2025

EATONTON, Ga. — The economic future of Eatonton and Putnam County will soon take a hit due to a longtime distribution plant shutting down operations and eliminating 160 jobs.

Putnam County Manager Paul Van Haute expressed shock when he was informed by The Union-Recorder in a telephone call Monday morning that officials with Bluestem Brands Distribution Center plan to cease operations at its Eatonton plant in August.

Bluestem Brands Distribution Center is known for handling such brands as Appleseed’s, Fingerhut and Gettington.

“I had no idea they were closing,” Van Haute said. “I am beyond shocked. This is a huge hit to the county and the local economy.”

Van Haute said the plant’s closure will mean several people will be out of work, impacting the local economy.

“This is as awful as can be,” Van Haute said, recalling that he toured Bluestem Brands Distribution Center shortly after he became county manager. “It seems they’ve been here forever.”

Bluestem Brands Distribution Center officials informed employees June 23 about the plant’s closure and the elimination of the 160 jobs.

The plant, located at 148 Industrial Boulevard in Eatonton, was once known as Haband but changed its name several years ago. Bluestem Brands Distribution Center operates under the name of BLST Operating Company, LLC.

Eatonton Mayor John Reid received official notice that the plant will close and employees will be laid off between now and September.

It came in the form of a Federal WARN Act Notice, which was submitted by BLST Operating Company, LLC to inform the mayor of a reorganization of the company’s distribution center.

“The reorganization announced today (June 23, 2025) will affect all departments at the facility and ultimately result in the elimination of all 160 positions presently working at the site,” according to the notice.

The notice further advised that the actions being taken are permanent.

Employees at the plant reportedly received Warn notices last Monday that specify their respective employment separation dates, all at least 60 days from their notice date.

“Of the 160 affected employees, 114 will be separated on Aug. 22, 2025; 43 on Sept. 5, 2025; 3 on Sept. 19, 2025,” according to a copy of the WARN notice written by Sophanny Schwartz, vice president of human resources at BLST Operating Company, LLC. “None of the affected employees are represented by a labor union or other collective bargaining representative. Merchandise fulfillment operations at the facility will conclude upon the separation of all affected employees.”

Attempts to reach the mayor for comment were unsuccessful as of press time Monday.

Matt Poyner, executive director of Putnam Development Authority, said he had been informed about the closure several weeks ago but that at that time it was still a confidential matter.

He told the newspaper Monday that he received a letter from the Georgia Department of Labor confirming what he previously had heard.

Poyner said he reached out to the company’s former plant manager who since has moved on to another job to see whether or not there was something he or city and county officials could do to assist.

“He said, no, it’s like 100 percent sales,” Poyner said.

Poyner said five years ago, the company closed two other facilities on the east coast and combined those operations with the plant in Eatonton because of the efficiency at the Eatonton plant.

“It was humming at that time,” Poyner said of the local plant. “It think they had somewhere between 500 and 600 employees at the time.”

During that time, company officials made a lot of improvements at the Eatonton plant and upgraded a lot through technology.

“Unfortunately, when you upgrade with technology  you’re going to take away some bodies,” Poyner said. “It’s a double-edged sword.”

The number of employees at the Eatonton plant decreased in recent years to under 200 mainly through attrition, he said.

“The loss of jobs at this plant is not going to make it easy for those affected by a long shot,” Poyner said.

He said he would do everything in his power to assist those impacted.

Poyner said he also had reached out to Scott Pardon, human resource director at Fouts Bros. in Milledgeville and discovered that they are hiring new employes.

The same is true at the new E.R. Snell Asphalt Company satellite location near Rock Eagle.

The asphalt company, which is headquartered in Snellville, recently opened another location in Putnam County and is looking for about 30 new employees.

“We’re going to continue to try and help these people who are going to lose their jobs soon at Bluestem Brands Distribution Center in anyway we can,” Poyner said.