A prominent maker of organic soups and frozen meals plans to close a factory in Northern California in a move that would impact some 260 jobs across a pair of locations.
Amy’s Kitchen said that the closure of its Santa Rosa plant would affect about 207 workers, while another 51 jobs would be cut at a canning facility in Idaho, the North Bay Business Journal reported; the Pocatello, Idaho, canning operations would shift to another Amy’s facility in Medford, Oregon.
Amy’s, which is based in nearby Petaluma, California, said that the Santa Rosa plant currently produces a relatively small share of the company’s total production, and that the company's overall manufacturing footprint had grown “more complex” than the business requires. The company informed California officials that the layoffs in Santa Rose are scheduled to begin in December and be completed by mid-June.
Amy’s officials said that the closure is part of an effort to focus each facility on “the product categories where it is strongest.” The Pocatello plant will reportedly specialize in entrees, and the Medford facility will produce burritos, pizzas and soups.
Amy’s CEO Paul Schiefer told the paper that the move would help position the company for the long run, as well as acknowledged the “very real impact on people we value.”
“This is hard, and it should be hard,” Schiefer said. “We looked at every alternative before landing here.”
