Cheverly PepsiCo Plant Layoffs: Worker Recalls Going Numb After Learning His Job Was Eliminated

PepsiCo’s Cheverly layoffs have left long-serving workers seeking new jobs as the town prepares for the loss of a major taxpayer (Credit: Zoshua Colah/Unsplash)

James McPherson, a 42-year-old worker who marked 21 years at PepsiCo's Cheverly, Maryland, plant last month, was among more than 100 employees whose jobs were eliminated when the company shuttered most operations on 14 September. He recalled going numb after learning the news at the facility at 2611 Pepsi Place, telling the Washington Post he thought, 'I have to figure out what my life is now.'

The decision came a day after McPherson's work anniversary and ended manufacturing and warehouse activity at the plant, which has stood in Prince George's County for more than 60 years. PepsiCo's sales and delivery teams continue to operate there.