200 workers lose jobs as major SC bakery declares bankruptcy, shuts down
A 30-year-old South Carolina bakery that launched a major expansion almost two years ago has filed for bankruptcy and closed, leaving more than 200 people out of work.
The Muffin Mam closed its 100,000-square-foot plant in Laurens on Wednesday after filing for bankruptcy in federal court Tuesday.
In an emailed statement, the company blamed the “ongoing effects of Covid-19.”
Bankruptcy court filings show the company owes almost $6 million to 189 creditors. When the expansion to Laurens was announced, it was estimated to be a $18.8 million investment.
One secured creditor, Pinnacle Bank, is listed in the bankruptcy filing, but it does not say what is owed. The others are unsecured creditors.
Among the creditors are Greenville and Laurens county tax agencies and the IRS. Among the largest unsecured creditors are Atlantic Corporation, owed $600,760; Hardman Distribution, $591,400; JWC Engineering, $447,447; and Creative Baking Solutions, $382,750.
Creditors run the gamut of businesses such as janitorial services, insurance firms, staffing companies, septic systems, blueberry and egg cooperatives and technology companies.
Todd Littleton, chief executive officer of The Muffin Mam, said in a news release, “After Muffin Mam commissioned a new facility in early 2020, initial lockdowns related to the pandemic greatly limited customer interactions, which negatively impacted new revenues.”
He also said the company had trouble getting supplies and hiring skilled labor.
“While we are deeply disappointed in this outcome, we sincerely want to thank our employees, customers, and suppliers for their tireless efforts over the past 2 years in our struggle to survive,” he said.
Baker Stephanie Croley started The Muffin Mam as a small cafe in Greenville in 1990. She chose the name in a nod to a favorite nursery rhyme “The Muffin Man.” Within two years, Croley expanded into the wholesale bakery industry, and within another year sales amounted to a half-million dollars.
The company then bought a facility in Simpsonville. Croley died in 2014, and the company was bought by Azalea Capital, a Greenville investment firm, a few years later.
This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 10:44 AM.