So long, fresh cookie aroma: Fair Lawn Nabisco factory closes after more than 60 years

It was the end of an era in Fair Lawn on Friday as the Nabisco factory officially ceased operations after more than 60 years.

News 12 Staff

Jul 16, 2021, 5:07 PM

Updated 1,174 days ago

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It was the end of an era in Fair Lawn on Friday as the Nabisco factory officially ceased operations after more than 60 years.
Nabisco is known for making Oreos, crackers and other delicious treats. People who lived near the factory say that they will miss the smell of baked goods that permeated through the air for generations.
“I used to manage the restaurant there and in the morning, the smell takes over the whole area,” says Levin Rivas, of Paterson.
Fair Lawn Mayor Kurt Peluso says that the factory is an icon in his town and in the state.
“That building everyone knows, passing it on [Highway] 208. That’s your home. So we will miss that,” he says.
Both Mondelez International, the company that owns the plant, and the borough of Fair Lawn are helping the 600 employees who are now out of a job. Peluso says that he is confident a new company will take over the plant.
“We know there is a lot of interest and the bids for the property have been north of $100 million. So they are paying top dollar for that property,” the mayor says. “We know it will be something that offers job opportunities to former Mondelez employees and others throughout the region.”
Mondelez will still have a New Jersey presence with its northeast corporate headquarters in East Hanover. It employs over 1,000 people. The company has also closed a bakery site in Atlanta, moving all operations to Virginia, the Chicago area and Oregon.
Company officials say that the decision to close the Fair Lawn plant was due to outdated manufacturing capabilities and aging infrastructure.