A billion-dollar organic-food powerhouse is pulling back from California manufacturing, shutting down its original Santa Rosa factory and eliminating 260 jobs in a sweeping production shake-up.<\/p>\n
The family-owned Amy\u2019s Kitchen, which racks up roughly $1 billion in annual retail sales<\/a> of its products, plans to wind down the Santa Rosa operation in phases before shifting production to plants in Medford, Oregon, and Pocatello, Idaho.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is hard, and it should be hard,\u201d CEO Paul Schiefer said in a statement to SFGATE<\/a>. \u201cWe looked at every alternative before landing here. We have a loyal workforce in Santa Rosa, and we\u2019re incredibly grateful for everything they\u2019ve contributed.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the California Morning Report newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Amy\u2019s Kitchen in Santa Rosa, California. Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images<\/p>\n The company says the restructuring is aimed at reorganizing its manufacturing network so individual facilities can concentrate on the product categories where they are strongest.<\/p>\n Employees affected by the Santa Rosa closure will receive separation packages, job-placement assistance and counseling services, according to the company.<\/p>\n Amy\u2019s Kitchen CEO Paul Schiefer. Credit: Amy\u0092s Kitchen<\/p>\n The retreat is striking given the brand\u2019s muscle in the organic-food aisle.<\/p>\n Shoppers spend about $1 billion a year on its products at retail checkouts, producing roughly $600 million in gross sales for the company itself.<\/p>\n Market intelligence firm SPINS ranks the brand No. 1 across several organic categories.<\/p>\n A worker wearing protective gloves wraps a burrito behind a protective barrier at an Amy\u2019s Kitchen facility in Santa Rosa. Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n Its retail sales data gives the company an 89.09% dollar share of Organic Frozen Pizza and a 73.80% share of Organic Frozen Burritos and Pockets.<\/p>\n SPINS also ranks it first<\/a> in Organic Frozen Entrees and Organic Ready-to-Eat Soups.<\/p>\n Now, however, the company is ending its food-production footprint in California<\/a>.<\/p>\n Maria Anguino wears safety glasses and protective clothing as she moves cans to the processing line at Amy\u2019s Kitchen in Santa Rosa. Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images<\/p>\n Its corporate headquarters will remain in downtown Petaluma, where the family-owned business was founded in 1987.<\/p>\n But the Santa Rosa plant is being shuttered, with layoffs expected to begin late this year and another round scheduled for next summer.<\/p>\n Signage is displayed outside the Amy\u2019s Kitchen facility in Santa Rosa. Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n The manufacturing cuts extend to Idaho as well.<\/p>\n The company plans to permanently lay off dozens of workers at its Pocatello canning plant by the end of the year, according to a WARN notice filed with the Idaho Department of Labor Thursday.<\/p>\n The notice says affected employees are expected to be separated from the company effective Dec. 18.<\/p>\n The listed cuts include 14 Cook II positions, 14 Manufacturing Operator I jobs, five Manufacturing Operator II positions and five Manufacturing Operator IV positions, along with several other classifications whose employee counts were not legible in records reviewed by The Idaho State Journal.<\/a><\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t
California Post Sports Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, X<\/a>
California Post Opinion<\/a>
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!<\/a>
California Post App: Download here!<\/a>
Home delivery: Sign up here!<\/a>
<\/a>Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!<\/a><\/p>\n