Cookeville, Tenn. ? Russell Stover Candies has announced another string of layoffs at its 30-year-old Cookeville chocolate factory, which is being turned into a warehouse.

The Kansas City, Mo.-based candy maker notified state and local officials on Friday of plans to eliminate 496 jobs over the next two months. Candy production stopped on Friday as well.

The move comes less than a year after the company laid off 400 people when it eliminated two of three shifts at the plant.

Between 30 and 35 employees are expected to remain at the facility to handle the distribution duties, said Cookeville City Manager Jim Shipley.

Russell Stover candies are sold in more than 50 company-owned retail stores and through 70,000 wholesale accounts in more than 20 countries, including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company manufacturers nearly 100 million pounds of chocolate annually.

Robinn Weber, the company’s human resources senior vice president, declined to discuss specifics about the reasons behind the layoffs.