Leprino Foods to lay off hundreds in East Lemoore plant closure

LEMOORE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Leprino Foods’ Lemoore East plant volition adjacent successful aboriginal 2026, costing much than 300 radical their jobs.

The institution made that announcement to employees Thursday, giving them much than a twelvemonth to find different job.

The dairy processing works has operated successful Lemoore since 1910, supplying planetary customers and employing generations of families.

Leprino East successful 1946. Courtesy: Dave Costa

Dave Costa is 1 specified person. His begetter hauled beverage cans to the works successful the 1950s, past Costa worked determination for 35 years. Now, his son-in-law works for the company’s West Lemoore plant.

“This is the highest paying occupation successful the vale - 1 of the highest paying mill jobs successful the valley, and it's going to beryllium a large nonaccomplishment to the City of Lemoore… It's going to beryllium devastating,” Costa said.

He says the closure volition not lone interaction the hundreds of employees who clip connected their badges each day.

He thinks it volition besides beryllium a deed to the South Valley economy.

“This is going to devastate the assemblage of Lemoore… Not getting each these taxes that person been coming successful implicit the years due to the fact that of this plant, it's going to enactment a wounded connected the metropolis of Lemoore large time,” Costa said.

In a connection acquired by the Hanford Sentinel and shared with Yourcentralvalley.com, a Leprino spokesperson said they are closing the works due to the fact that of “the facility’s age, anticipated superior requirements to marque improvements to the installation and adhd oregon regenerate instrumentality and systems, precocious operating costs successful California, the semipermanent beverage proviso outlook and the accrued capableness owed to the opening of our Lubbock, Texas facility.”

Costa says helium understands the company’s logic, but helium feels for his friends who person worked for the works for 25 years.

“You enactment truthful hard each those years for your status and past each of a sudden, you know, they unopen it down. That's who I consciousness for,” Costa said.

Leprino says they gave employees astir a 14-month announcement to assistance them done the transition.

Costa says they person ever treated employees well.

But for those present updating their resumes, “I conscionable commune for them,” Costa said.

A Leprino spokesperson says the alteration volition not impact the prime of their work, and they volition proceed serving customers until they unopen down the silos and crook disconnected the lights.