Del Monte Foods, which produces a range of canned, frozen, and refrigerated fruits and vegetables, says it will close two plants—one producing canned green beans in Markesan, Wis., the other producing canned corn and peas in Toppenish, Wash. The two plants will end production operations by the end of April, at the end of Del Monte’s fiscal year.
Canned good sales surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers headed to the center aisles of their grocery stores, stocking up on non-perishable foods as well as foods that were perceived as safer than fresh produce. As consumers increasingly return to their pre-COVID routines, however, some food manufacturers are watching earlier advantages slip. It is in this climate that Del Monte says it needs to bring its operational capacity more in line with consumer demand.
Del Monte was already moving to a more “asset-light strategy” before the pandemic, however. In 2019 the company announced its plans to shutter or sell four plants in Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas. That came on the heels of 2018 plant closings in California, Indiana, and North Carolina.
More than 200 employees will be affected by the latest plant closings. In Toppenish, 127 employees will lose their jobs as a result of the plant closure there, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) from Washington State. Del Monte is in the process of bargaining with the union in Toppenish over the effects of the closure. Employees in Markesan—90 people there are affected, according to Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development—are not unionized.
Several brands operate under the Del Monte umbrella, including well-known brands Contadina, College Inn, and S&W.
