No layoffs in 101 years: How this US company is preparing employees for AI era

# 101-Year-Old Torani Has Never Laid Off an Employee as AI Reshapes the Workplace

As layoffs continue to spread across industries, one century-old American company is taking a sharply different approach to managing technological change.

Torani, the San Leandro, California-based syrup manufacturer, says it has **never laid off an employee in its 101-year history**. That record is now being tested by the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence across the workplace.

While companies in technology, banking, hospitality and other industries are using AI and restructuring operations to reduce costs, Torani CEO **Melanie Dulbecco** says the company intends to approach the latest technological shift in the same way it has handled previous changes — by focusing on its employees.

The central question for Dulbecco is not how many jobs artificial intelligence can eliminate, but how employees can use the technology to create greater value.

AI is already changing many entry-level corporate roles, including positions that have traditionally provided workers with their first opportunity to enter professional careers.

That development has raised concerns about whether companies will continue hiring people for those positions or instead use AI systems to perform some of the work.

Dulbecco believes businesses can adopt AI without automatically making their existing employees redundant.

She has argued that the technology should be used to help workers move toward more valuable responsibilities rather than simply replacing them.

For Dulbecco, that philosophy is deeply connected to her own history with Torani.

She joined the company in **1991**, after a friend introduced her to the family that owned the business.

At the time, Torani was a very small operation with only nine employees and approximately $700,000 in annual revenue.

More than three decades later, the company has grown into a major syrup producer with approximately **500 employees** and an expected annual revenue of more than **$800 million**.

Dulbecco has been with the company for 35 years, giving her a long-term perspective on how technology, consumer preferences and business practices have changed over time.

Torani itself has an even longer history.

The company was founded in **1925**, when its founders began producing handcrafted drink syrups in San Francisco.

Following the end of Prohibition in 1933, the company expanded into the liqueur business before eventually developing a stronger focus on flavored syrups.

One of its major turning points came in **1982**, when Torani introduced coffee syrups.

The company would go on to become closely associated with flavored coffee beverages and helped popularize products such as flavored lattes.

Today, Torani offers more than **150 syrup flavors**, which are used in coffee, cocktails, sodas and a wide range of other beverages.

Despite its transformation into a much larger business, Dulbecco says Torani has retained a strong focus on its employees.

That philosophy is particularly relevant as AI begins to influence the company's operations.

Rather than beginning with a financial calculation of how many jobs could potentially be eliminated through automation, Torani approaches technology investments by asking what employees can accomplish with the new tools.

The company’s leadership believes AI can allow workers to spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on activities that require creativity, judgment and deeper engagement.

Dulbecco has described this approach as putting people at the center of major business decisions.

That employee-first strategy may also influence how workers respond to technological change.

When employees believe that adopting a new technology could put their jobs at immediate risk, they may be reluctant to experiment with it.

At Torani, Dulbecco believes the company’s long history of retaining workers has created a greater level of trust.

Because employees have not experienced layoffs as a result of previous technological changes, they may feel more comfortable learning new tools and experimenting with different ways of working.

That confidence could become increasingly important as generative AI becomes more widespread.

Instead of viewing AI exclusively as a replacement for human labor, Torani is exploring how employees can incorporate the technology into their existing roles and increase their contribution to the company.

The approach also reflects a broader debate taking place across corporate America.

Companies are under pressure to improve productivity and control costs, while employees are concerned that AI could reduce the number of traditional jobs available to them.

Entry-level workers may face particular challenges because many of the tasks most vulnerable to automation are currently performed by junior employees.

For companies such as Torani, the challenge will be finding ways to ensure that workers can develop new skills as the nature of their jobs changes.

Dulbecco’s philosophy is that technological progress does not necessarily have to come at the expense of employment.

Instead, companies can potentially use productivity gains to allow their employees to take on higher-value responsibilities and contribute in new ways.

Torani’s approach may also provide an advantage in recruiting and retaining employees.

While many businesses continue to compete for skilled workers, Dulbecco says Torani has not experienced the same degree of difficulty in attracting and retaining employees.

She attributes part of that environment to the company's belief that every role matters.

That message can be particularly important at a time when workers are watching companies across the economy eliminate positions in the name of efficiency.

Torani’s continued commitment to its workforce does not mean the company is ignoring technological change.

Instead, it is attempting to integrate new technology while maintaining the employment relationship that has defined the business for generations.

The company’s growth demonstrates that an employee-focused strategy and strong financial performance do not necessarily have to be mutually exclusive.

From a nine-person company generating less than $1 million in annual revenue to a business approaching $1 billion in sales, Torani has expanded substantially while maintaining its no-layoff tradition.

Its experience now offers an alternative perspective as businesses determine how to respond to artificial intelligence.

The coming years will reveal whether companies can successfully use AI to increase productivity while creating better opportunities for existing workers.

For Torani, the answer begins with a simple principle: technological progress should create opportunities for employees rather than automatically eliminate their jobs.

As generative AI continues to reshape corporate America, the 101-year-old syrup company is betting that investing in its people can remain just as important as investing in technology.