Pevely Dairy goes out of business

By Casey Nolen

KSDK -- A St. Louis institution--the Pevely Dairy--closed its doors for good on Friday.

Pevely has been in the area for nearly 120 years, but more than a hundred workers were told Friday that they were losing their jobs.

The Pevely Dairy's history in St. Louis goes back to the 1880s. They first made a name for themselves at the 1904 World's Fair. But those laid off said they were less worried about history and more concerned about finding a job in a tough economy.

For the employees of the Pevely Dairy, Friday was a day of goodbyes to coworkers and to their jobs.

"They told us at three o'clock today that today was your last day, and that was it," said Aaron Gaston, a former employee.

Of the more than 130 workers at the dairy, about 20 will transfer to a plant in Hazelwood. That plant is owned by Prairie Farms, the parent company of Pevely Dairy. The building at Chouteau and Grand will be sold, and Pevely Dairy will stop producing milk for St. Louis.

"It's shocking. I just got married last Saturday and I got to say, 'Honey, I don't have a job,'" Gaston said.

Management was unable to talk on camera, but described by phone the layoffs as a business decision, part of a plan to consolidate facilities. They said the day was a terrible one, and insist they were focused on taking care of their now former employees.

"We feel like we've been mislead by the union and the company," Gaston said.

Some employees hoped the company would save the Pevely jobs in its merger with the Hazelwood plant, considering the prospect of finding new jobs in the current economy.

"No you got to go out here and freshen up resumes and look for a job," Gaston said.

The laid off workers will receive severance packages.

And even though there will be no Pevely facilities open now, Prairie Farms plans to keep the brand alive, customers will still see Pevely milk in the stores.