Pepsi Halts Manufacturing in Detroit After 80 Years

Pepsi has quietly shut down its manufacturing, transport, and maintenance operations in Detroit, ending an 80-year run for the beverage giant in the Motor City.

Pepsi Ends Production in Detroit After 80 Years

While the company will continue to maintain a warehouse presence on Mack Avenue, a spokesperson confirmed to Detroit’s WJBK-TV that manufacturing has ceased. It’s unclear when production officially ended or how many employees are affected.

The number of workers employed at the plant was reported to be around 400 in 2020.

No Word on Layoffs or Final Employment Numbers

A spokesperson would only say that Pepsi is “not ceasing operations in Detroit entirely” and still has sales and distribution teams in the area.

“We are committed to supporting those impacted through this transition, and we are offering pay and benefits to impacted employees,” the company said in a statement.

The now-closed facility was located on Mack Avenue near I-75 on Detroit’s east side and had been in operation for eight decades. It produced popular PepsiCo products including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Aquafina bottled water.

While production has stopped, the company emphasized that sales and deliveries to the region will not be interrupted.

What happens to the workers is unclear. Pepsi has not disclosed whether any layoffs occurred or how many people were employed at the site at the time of closure. No other Pepsi plants in Michigan are affected by the Detroit shutdown, and the company continues to operate distribution centers across the state.

No specific reason for the shutdown has been given. However, industry observers note that large manufacturers across the U.S. have been consolidating operations in recent years, often moving production to larger or more modern facilities in other states.

Other Pepsi Plants Have Already Been Closed

In 2024, PepsiCo announced that it would be closing plants in Cincinnati, Chicago, Atlanta, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Those closures resulted in the loss of about 400 jobs.

Although Detroit’s role in making the beverage is over, customers will still be able to buy their favorite Pepsi products at local stores.