Cindy Montano and Glen Callons for Fair Lawn Council Statements on the Nabisco Plant Closure 

Fair Lawn, NJ – Since 1958 Nabisco has been a landmark here in Fair Lawn. Generations have grown up with the smell of cookies as you drive up Rt. 208, a smell that has become a fixed memory of our town. Sadly, on July 16th, Mondelez shut down the operation of the historic factory. With that, 600 jobs are now lost.

Republican Fair Lawn Council Candidate Glen Callons stated, “This is a truly sad day for Fair Lawn. The loss of 600 good jobs is devastating. Along with those impacted families, the economic ripple effect on our community, the businesses that served the plant, and their employees will also be hard.”

Republican Fair Lawn Council Candidate Cindy Montano commented, “As a former Mondelez employee who lives in Fair Lawn and has visited the Nabisco plant, it saddens me to see the departure of the company and 600 jobs from our town. I am committed to doing what I can to advise and connect our small business owners with resources that they need to not only recover from the pandemic but now the departure of Mondelez as well.”

Mondelez is not alone in fleeing New Jersey, according to the 44th annual study from United Van Lines, more people moved out of New Jersey than any other state in the country in 2020 — a title New Jersey has held for the past three years!

Callons commented, “When Mondelez announced their plans to close the plant, we heard every politician from the Governor to our local council say that this is wrong and they will work to keep them here. Well, we found out that talk is cheap. Our businesses and families want action and not talk.”

Montano added, “We need to seriously look at the root causes of why companies like Mondelez are choosing to leave New Jersey, why our families are uprooting for better opportunities elsewhere. There is a failure in leadership here in New Jersey, Bergen County, and Fair Lawn.”

The shuttering of the plant brings a new question, what will the post-Nabisco Fair Lawn look like? Cindy Montano stated, “Now more than ever it is critical that we have outside voices on the Council! We need independent eyes, ideas, and perspectives on the current one-party council.”

Callons added, “Having lived in Fair Lawn all my life, and serving this community, I have never seen a time with so much uncertainty that will have such long-lasting impacts on our town. From the Dollar Tree site to Nabisco property’s future, we need council members who will take objective looks and not walk in lockstep with a political party. We need now, more than ever, a healthy debate on the future of Fair Lawn.”