Bayer closing customer logistics center in Mishawaka

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- Bayer notified its employees on Tuesday it is closing its customer logistics service center at Edison Lakes in Mishawaka.

The closure will happen over an 18 month period, the company said.

Bayer released the following statement regarding the closure:

For more than 150 years, Bayer has stood for quality and trust, making innovative products in health and nutrition that improve lives and make a contribution to society. Our employees around the globe work every day to find solutions to a growing and aging population.

The Mishawaka/Edison Lakes site has played an important role in our company’s history since 1978, but as we look ahead, Bayer must shift its strategy to remain competitive and successful in the marketplace.

Most of the employees at the Mishawaka/Edison Lakes site are part of Bayer’s customer logistics service center, which is responsible for the end-to-end customer experience — from the starting point of taking customer orders, through to delivery and final payment — for our Consumer Health and Pharmaceuticals businesses.

Bayer has made the decision to move away from operating a local service center and transition toward an integrated global organization. This will help the company reduce complexity, improve efficiency and enhance customer service. This will also position Bayer to remain competitive in our industry over the long term and ensure that we appropriately meet current and future needs of our customers and businesses for years to come. This decision will impact 194 colleagues.

This is certainly a difficult decision given the impact it will have on our colleagues and their families, and the important role the site has played in our company’s history. We have an extremely talented workforce in Mishawaka/Edison Lakes and a proud and rich history. We thank our colleagues for their hard work and dedication over the years.

We will transition the site closing in a thoughtful, orderly manner over an 18-month period to provide ample time for employees and operations to transition smoothly and to ensure that we continue to serve our customers and businesses effectively.

We have the utmost appreciation for the employees and their families affected by this decision, and we are committed to treating each employee with dignity and respect throughout this process. We know that changes like this can be uneasy and even a bit stressful for our employees – and for the community. That is why we will honor our commitments and continue to support important groups like non-profits and other charitable organizations in the region at the same level in 2019 and 2020

When asked if this is an outlier or the beginning of a trend of closings in the area company spokesman Chris Loder said it's too early to speculate but at this time the decision only effects the Mishawaka facility.

"At this point it would be inappropriate to speculate on that but i can tell you Indiana remains a very important state for Bayer and that this announcement today is only for Mishawaka," Loder said.