Aveda Corp. notified the state of Minnesota this week of plans to lay off 101 workers when it sells its Aveda Institute Minneapolis to Beauty Basics Inc. in April.
Workers at the flagship Aveda salon training school at 400 Central Avenue SE. in Minneapolis are expected to be rehired by Beauty Basics once the school's sale finalizes in April.
Aveda, which is owned by Estée Lauder and has a large hair and beauty products factory in Blaine, confirmed Thursday that it plans to sell two Aveda Institute schools to the Neill Corp. subsidiary called Beauty Basics Inc. come this spring.
The sale involves the only Aveda Institute in Minnesota and the Aveda Institute New York.
"BBI has already extended employment offers to all employees of Aveda Institute Minneapolis and Aveda Institute New York," said Aveda spokeswoman Rachael Dillon in an e-mail Friday.
Employees reached at the famed northeast Minneapolis location said they were still getting details about how their jobs will be affected once the transition to the new owners begins. Details were scant, but anxiety was high, workers said.
There are 64 Aveda-branded institutes nationwide, and all but two are independently owned, Dillon said.
Those last two facilities will soon be owned by Neill Corp., which already owns and manages 15 Aveda Institutes.
Dillon declined to provide more information about the sale. It is not known if the transactions will involve real estate or what the final price tag will be.
State of Minnesota officials acknowledged receiving Aveda's layoff warning notice this week. The state appointed Rapid Response senior specialist Mee Yang to oversee the handling of the layoffs and to offer assistance to those affected.
Minnesota officials said affected positions include the institute's guest-relations coordinator and guest relations assistant managers, massage instructor, senior cosmetology instructor, esthiology instructor, cosmetology manager, cosmetology coach, facilities and dispense coordinator, lead point-of-sale nonmanagement key holder adviser, financial-aid consultant, building management and mechanic maintenance, building operations supervisor and student registrar.
Dee DePass • 612-673-7725
