For more than 70 years the smell of coffee helped wake up folks in Freehold - and it didn't come from their kitchen. The smell came from the Nestlé Instant Coffee factory. But now, the future of this plant is uncertain.

Several people contacted News 12 New Jersey about the possibility of the Freehold factory closing. More than 200 employees work at the plant, and decisional bargaining talks are ongoing.

A spokesperson for Nestlé wrote in a statement, "We recognize this process creates uncertainty for our Freehold team and are committed to providing regular updates and supporting our employees during the process.”

“We are considering options related to our Freehold factory and have invited the union to sit down and talk about the future of the site. This includes an invitation to enter into decisional bargaining, a process through which the union will have the opportunity to offer proposals for our consideration if it chooses to do so. At this point no final decision has been made.”

The statement also went on to say although Nestlé made investments in Freehold since its opening in 1948, the factory is limited based on its age, flexibility and ability to meet growing consumer demand in a cost-effective way.

Tom Arnone, the Commissioner Director of Monmouth County, said the closure of such a large corporation would be a huge loss for Monmouth County and New Jersey.

"If Nestle were to close their operations in Freehold, it would have a devastating economic impact on not only the employees who work there, but all of the surrounding businesses,” Arnone said. “Hopefully the state will come in and assist Nestle so they can stay in New Jersey, and importantly, in Monmouth County."

No employees wanted to come on camera or have their names used.