The Manhattan-headquartered snack producer will cut 90 of its 600 employees. Those affected work in field marketing and field sales, or account management, the company confirmed to BakeryandSnacks.

The 15-year-old company – founded by Daniel Lubetzky, who is now worth $1.5bn, according to Forbes – produces its nut and fruit bars, among other products, in external manufacturing facilities.

According to a statement provided to BakeryandSnacks, the company expressed gratitude for the affected employees and said it would offer support in ‘this career transition.’

Distribution changes for KIND

In a first for the company, last month the company announced it has scooped up a North Carolina-based granola bite company called Creative Snacks. In 2017, Mars Inc. invested a reported $4bn for a 40% stake KIND.

That deal recently paid dividends, with Mars International Travel Retail (MITR) arm expanding distribution of three KIND bars in coming months.

We asked KIND how these layoffs would affect the company’s new direction.

“Our new Go-To-Market approach is designed to support the continued growth of KIND," ​a company spokesperson told us.

"Specifically, it enhances our ability to more closely manage key accounts, greatly expands our retail coverage, and scales our consumer sampling reach to capture new households nationwide. It marks a substantial change for KIND, impacting approximately 90 team members across our Field Marketing, Field Sales and Account Management teams. These team members have helped build KIND into what it is today and we are immensely grateful for their contributions. We are partnering closely with each team member to provide ample time and support as they make this career transition.”​

Mars Inc. did not respond to a request for comment by press time.