Amy’s Kitchen has confirmed plans to close a manufacturing plant in California, as the US food group seeks to simplify a “complex” production network.
The company is to shut its facility in Santa Rosa in California and move production to two other sites.
In a statement shared with Just Food yesterday (21 September), the organic prepared-foods maker said the closure will take place in phases, with manufacturing transferring to sites in Medford in Oregon and Pocatello in Idaho.
Around 260 roles across the manufacturing network will be lost, including 207 jobs in Santa Rosa as the plant winds down. A further 51 jobs at the Pocatello site will be cut as canning operations move to Medford.
The restructuring is intended to ensure “each facility can focus on the product categories where it is strongest”, Amy's Kitchen said.
The Pocatello site will become Amy’s designated entrée facility, while Medford will specialise in pizza, soup and burritos.
CEO Paul Schiefer said: “This is hard and it should be hard. We looked at every alternative before landing here. We have a loyal workforce in Santa Rosa and we're incredibly grateful for everything they've contributed.
“We know this decision has a very real impact on people we value. As we've grown, our manufacturing network has become more complex than our business needs today.
“Aligning our network around what each facility is best positioned to do is what keeps Amy's operating efficiently for the long run, for our employees, our retailers, and the families who count on our food.”
The job cuts will be carried out in two stages, with the first round scheduled for the end of this year and a second phase planned by the “summer of next year”, Amy’s Kitchen said.
Schiefer, who had been the company’s president since 2023, assumed the CEO role earlier this year. At the time, Amy’s Kitchen said his priorities would include “advancing innovation” and maintaining “operational excellence”, among other areas.
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