Dive Brief:
- Frozen food manufacturer Ruiz Food Products will close its Tulare, California, production plant and lay off 215 workers, according to a state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act post.
- Job cuts will start Aug. 30 and go through Sept. 13, according to a May 29 company statement.
- Some workers may be able to transfer to the company’s Dinuba, California, plant about 30 minutes away, according to Ruiz Foods. The company did not specify how many workers may be given this option.
Dive Insight:
The Tulare plant opened in 2004 as an extension of Ruiz Foods’ Dinuba plant and was originally intended to be a short-term additional capacity option, according to the company announcement.
The Mexican-style food company, which makes popular frozen food brands like El Monterey and Tornados, said the Tulare plant no longer fulfilled its manufacturing needs.
“After 20 years of services, we have determined that the facility is too small and requires substantial capital investment to meet our manufacturing needs or remain a viable part of the Ruiz Foods network,” the company said in the announcement.
Ruiz Foods was founded in 1964 and employs more than 4,000 people. It moved its headquarters from Dinuba to Frisco, Texas, in March.
Ruiz Foods operates five other manufacturing facilities in California, Texas and South Carolina, according to the press release.
“While this is the right decision for our business, we recognize the impact on our valued Tulare team members and will be working to provide support and options during this transition,” the company said.
Other food manufactuers in the state have also shuttered plants this year. On March 31, La Tortilla Factory closed its facility in Santa Clara, laying off 135 workers, according to local reports. At the end of this month, frozen food maker Real Good Foods will close a manufacturing plant in City of Industry, California, citing a need to improve capacity utilization and reduced fixed overhead costs.
