EVART, MI – The closure of Dean Foods’ longtime Liberty Dairy plant will be "devastating" for the rural community of Evart, drying up jobs and city revenues.
“It's going to be devastating," said Zach Szakacs, city manager of the community of about 1,900 people located about 80 miles northeast of Grand Rapids. "It’s going to have a drastic impact."
The dairy, which last year had a workforce of about 200 employees, is the community’s second largest employer after auto supplier Ventra Evart. By November, the workforce will be less than 60.
On Monday, the Dallas-based food processing giant said it planned to lay off 54 workers in October on top of 43 workers earlier this month. Dean Foods said it expects to shut down most of the facility in February, after its longtime contract with retailer Meijer Inc. winds down.
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