Soft Surroundings closing affects nearly 80 workers

Editor's note: Soft Surroundings issued a statement on Monday, July 31. The state was added to this article after it was issued.

MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ)

Soft Surroundings Distribution Center in Mexico, Missouri, will be closing, according to a Worker Adjustment Restraining Notification posting on the Missouri Jobs website.

The posting indicates that 80 people will be laid off from the Audrain County location, but the notice indicates 79 workers would be laid off.

Soft Surroundings sent the notice to the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development on Friday.

Layoffs will begin Friday, Sept. 1. and run through Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The distribution center was built in 2016 and opened in 2017, according to a June 2016 social media post by the Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce.

The notice stated none of the employees affected were represented by a union.

The company issued a statement about a week after the WARN notice was issued:

"Over the course of the past year Soft Surroundings has done a lot of work to assess the company’s core needs and realign our priorities. With many months of due diligence, assessment, and internal conversations, we’ve decided to improve our processes, streamline our logistics, and ultimately better serve our customers by partnering with XB Fulfillment. This means that we will be proceeding with the closure of our fulfillment center in Mexico, Missouri. That being said, we remain committed to supporting the community in Mexico, impacted by this decision, and have provided clear communication over an extended timeline, held job fairs, and have supported recruitment and relocation for staff wherever possible. Soft Surroundings is a Missouri company, and we’ll be working hard to make sure that we grow and invest in Missouri going into the future."