Winn-Dixie to Cut 22,000 Jobs, Close 326 Stores

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inn-Dixie Stores said Tuesday it planned to cut 22,000 jobs, or 28% of its workforce, and close about 326 stores as part of its bankruptcy reorganization plan.

The company was ranked No. 14 on the Transport Topics Private 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian private truck fleets. As of 2003, it had 995 tractors and 1,500 trailers.

Winn-Dixie currently owns 913 supermarkets in nine states and the Bahamas, Bloomberg reported. However, the company said it planned to stop operating in Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas, and trim operations in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

It also said it would close or sell its six dairy and culture plants, its pizza plant in Montgomery, Ala., and its beverage products plant in Fitzgerald, Ga., Bloomberg said.

In April 2004, the company announced it was closing or selling 156 supermarkets and cutting 10,000 jobs. In February, it filed for bankruptcy.