Business in brief: Kellogg expects Eggo shortage

Atlanta – Dear Kellogg: Leggo my Eggo!

Kellogg Co. said Wednesday there will be a nationwide shortage of its popular Eggo frozen waffles until next summer because of interruptions in production at two of the four plants that make them.

The company’s Atlanta plant was shut down for an undisclosed period by a September storm that dumped historic amounts of rain in the area. Meanwhile, several production lines at its largest bakery in Rossville, Tenn., are closed indefinitely for repairs, the company said.

Associated Press

Insurer Aetna plans job cuts

Hartford, Conn. – Health insurer Aetna said Wednesday it will cut 625 jobs immediately, or nearly 2 percent of its staff, and will make a similar number of cuts by the end of the 2010 first quarter due to the lagging economy and the potential impact of health care reform.

Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna trimmed 977 jobs last December and currently has about 35,500 employees. Several other large insurers, including Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. and Philadelphia-based Cigna Corp., also have announced cuts.

Health insurers have faced growing financial pressure in the past few quarters as corporate job cuts have trimmed the number of people covered by employer-sponsored health insurance.

Associated Press

Russell agrees to rehire workers

Atlanta – After widespread and prolonged student protests on U.S. college campuses, sports apparel maker Russell Athletic has announced plans to open a new factory in Honduras and rehire ousted union workers.

Student pressure over concerns about Russell Athletic’s labor practices had prompted nearly 100 colleges and universities to drop licensing deals with the company that allowed it to print clothing with colleges’ names, logos and mascots.

The Atlanta-based clothing maker has agreed to rehire 1,200 former workers at the factory in Choloma and abide by collective bargaining agreements at all of its Honduran factories.

Associated Press

Casinos playing it safe on slots

Las Vegas – Casinos are buying fewer slot machines than they have in a decade as they stretch their spending, a slot machine maker said Wednesday.

“We’re certainly not predicting a significant improvement in 2010,” said Nick Khin, Americas president for Aristocrat Technologies Inc.

Khin spoke on a panel Wednesday at the Global Gaming Expo, a four-day industry conference in Las Vegas.

Associated Press