WEST LIBERTY — West Liberty Foods announced its intention to close its Mount Pleasant facility as of May 7, 2023, impacting about 350 workers, according to a press release from the company on Friday.
“Respect and care for people is a core value of our company, and shutting down a plant is a tough thing to do,” said Brandon Achen, president and CEO of West Liberty Foods. “Although we are taking steps to lessen the impact on our team members, we will be eliminating the jobs of some exceptional people through no fault of their own. I want each of them to know that we value their contributions and deeply regret the need for this action.”
The facility opened in 2003, boasting its patented Clean Room Food Processing Systems — the first food manufacturing facility in the nation with this technology. Since opening, the facility has produced hundreds of millions of pounds of sliced meat for West Liberty Foods customers. Recently, the release said, the company has seen a shift in the types of products and capabilities needed to support their customers. This shift has resulted in a drastic reduction in pre-sliced deli meats, leaving this particular facility and its equipment unmatched to the company’s future needs and direction.
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