"Globes" has learned that Sodastream is laying off about 200 employees, after shedding 300 employees in October 2021, mainly from its factory in the Idan Hanegev Industrial Park near Lahavim junction and the Bedouin city of Rahat. Most of the current layoffs will also be at the Idan Hanegev plant, but the company is also expected to part from dozens of employees elsewhere.
The company said in a statement, "In the past few years, Sodastream has expanded its workforce in response to the growth that it has experienced for a long period, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Current production forecasts indicate a return to the level of demand seen in the past. At the same time, the company is exposed to volatile global market conditions that have an impact on its business.
"All these things oblige us to introduce efficiency measures and to adapt to the new business reality, including in the company’s workforce. After deep thought, the painful decision was made to cut the company’s global workforce by 5%. We shall of course give support to these employees, through severance payments and assistance in finding alternative jobs through a special career center that will be set up at the company’s Lahavim site."
Sodastream manufactures home carbonation devices for water and concentrates for making soda in various flavors. It is headed by Eyal Shohat. The company is owned by PepsiCo, which bought it for $3.2 billion in 2018. PepsiCo undertook to retain the plant in southern Israel for fifteen years. Sodastream’s manufacturing is in Israel, apart from the gas refills for its machines, which are made in Europe.
Last September, Shlomi Bechor was appointed general manager of Sodastream Israel. The company’s previous round of layoffs, which as mentioned affected 300 employees, was a response to falling demand for the company’s products after sharp growth during the pandemic.
The company currently employs about 3,000 people around the world, 2,000 of them in Israel. It sells its products in 48 countries.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 12, 2022.
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