VISALIA, Calif. — California Dairies, Inc. (CDI), today announced it will cease operations at its Los Banos, California, manufacturing facility on March 17, 2018. The entire facility will close, affecting approximately 63 employees.
In conjunction with the closure, CDI will exit the cream cheese and Neufchatel business, which was served solely by the Los Banos facility. CDI will continue to operate its five other manufacturing facilities and no other product segments will be affected.
“We deeply regret the impact this decision will have on our Los Banos employees and the community, and are committed to supporting our employees through this transition,” said Chief Executive Officer, Andrei Mikhalevsky. “The Los Banos plant has been a valued facility with a long history that has served California Dairies and its members well. Unfortunately, the declining volume of milk in California is affecting the entire dairy industry, and CDI is not immune. These reduced milk volumes, combined with the high cost of operating our Los Banos facility, are the sole drivers behind the decision. This decision is in no way a reflection on the hard work of our talented employees in Los Banos or the high-quality products they have produced.”
The Los Banos facility will ramp down operations over a 60-day period. CDI will be working closely with impacted employees to assist them and their families with this transition. CDI will also work with existing customers to enable a smooth transition in the areas of finished goods supply, packaging inventories and, where feasible, forward pack of finished goods.
The Los Banos manufacturing facility has been in operation since 1925, where it was first operated as part of San Joaquin Valley Dairymen, before merging with Danish Creamery and California Milk Producers in 1999 to become California Dairies, Inc. CDI continues to have a significant presence not only in California, but also throughout the United States and globally.
About California Dairies, Inc.
California Dairies, Inc. is the largest member-owned milk marketing and processing cooperative in California producing 43 percent of California’s milk. Co-owned by more than 400 dairy producers who ship 17 billion pounds of Real California Milk annually, California Dairies, Inc. is a manufacturer of quality butter, cream cheese, fluid milk products and milk powders. In addition, California Dairies, Inc. is the home of two leading and well-respected brands of butter – Challenge and Danish Creamery. California Dairies’ quality dairy products are available in all 50 United States and in more than 50 foreign countries. For additional information on California Dairies, Inc., visit www.californiadairies.com.
Source: California Dairies, Inc.
