ORLANDO, Fla. – The Frito-Lay plant in Orlando is being reduced to rubble.
News 6 captured video as construction crews tore down the 60-year-old plant on John Young Parkway on Wednesday.
The potato-chip maker announced the plant would close in November, laying off 454 workers. Another 46 people were also laid off at a nearby facility off Princeton Street.
The company said the closures were driven by business needs.
“This was a difficult decision, as we know how much this site and its people mean to the Orlando community,” the company said at the time.
Heavy machinery could be seen this week bending and tearing through metal as crews continued dismantling the long-standing plant.
PepsiCo previously stated that impacted employees would receive transition assistance, career support, and continued pay and benefits during the closure process.
The plant, first built in 1965, was 186,681 square feet in size, according to Orange County Property Appraiser records.
[BELOW: Frito-Lay plant in Orlando set to close, company announces]
While there has been no announcement regarding what will happen to the property once demolition is complete, Orange County leaders say their focus remains on helping displaced workers find new employment.
County Commissioner Michael Scott’s office confirmed plans are underway to organize another job fair for former employees. The county previously held a career fair following the layoffs, but said many employees were hired under “second chance of employment,” a practice that provides job opportunities to individuals with criminal records. That factor may have made it more difficult for some workers to secure new jobs after the plant closed.
Now, county leaders say they are in the early stages of planning a new job fair specifically tailored to workers who face additional barriers to employment. No date has been set yet, and officials are still working to identify employers willing to participate.
As for the future use of the property, News 6 has reached out to PepsiCo for comment and are awaiting a response.