Two Terre Haute Hostess stores to shut down

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - 18,500 will lose their jobs following a major company shutdown. The impact will be felt right here in the Wabash Valley.

Hostess Brands announced it's closing all operations Friday.

Think about names like this: Twinkies, Dingdongs, Wonder Bread. In about a week, those names will be just a thought.

And it's not just those name brands; Hostess has workers that will be out of jobs.

Those workers report for duty at two stores in Terre Haute and one store in Vincennes. This comes after Hostess' union factory workers went on strike.

Union leaders cited salary, pension and healthcare cuts. Friday, company leadership halted all operations.

This week, leaders permanently closed three plants.

The company announced it would be forced to close if employees didn't return to work by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. 

Not enough employees showed up, and as a result, Hostess decided to close.

Hostess retailers will stay open until products are sold out.  

News 10 spoke to the manager at one location who said they haven't been told anything regarding a closing date.  

A few loyal hostess customers we spoke to said the brand will be missed.  

"I think it’s really sad, a company that’s been around that long,” said Robin Canfield, Hostess customer.  

"Wonder Bread is real close to our house, and I go there quite often. My grandchildren like to buy the little treats they have in there. And I think it’s sad, because Hostess has been a name that’s been around for years,” said Carole Ewing, Hostess customer.

We reached out to Hostess Corporate Headquarters to find out exactly how many Wabash Valley workers would lose their jobs. Our calls were not returned.   

570 bakery outlet stores across the U.S. will close.  

Hostess has declared bankruptcy twice in the past eight years, most recently in January.