Del Monte Foods to sell Hanford tomato processing plant, affecting 400-500 jobs
Del Monte Foods, a giant in the retail world of branded processed foods, is planning to sell its tomato processing plant in Hanford where it employs 400 to 500 workers.
Company spokesperson Bibie Wu described the decision as an extremely difficult one, but one the company needed to make to align the business with consumer demand.
Analysts have noted the company, which generated $1.73 billion in annual sales last year, is dealing with high inventory and low demand.
The Hanford plant is the only tomato processing plant in Del Monte Food’s roster of food factories that produce the Del Monte, S&W, Contadina and Take Root Organics brands, among others.
City and county officials said Thursday they hadn’t been officially made aware of the proposed sale of the massive 670,000-square-foot plant.
Supervisor Doug Verboon said he learned of the news in his local newspaper, The Hanford Sentinel.
“If they are going to sell that plant, they are selling a valuable commodity,” he said. “We need that plant in our community to take care of our tomato growers and the people that work there.”
In a statement, Wu said the company notified the local union and is in discussions with the union that represents bargaining unit employees and “other manufacturing parties regarding the effects of these plans.”
“We will also be notifying relevant government officials at the appropriate time,” said Wu, chief communications & technical development officer.
The company declined to answer questions about its plans, other than issuing the statement.
The Hanford plant is one of 10 food facilities Del Monte operates in the U.S. and in Mexico, processing and canning everything from green beans to canned peaches. It has a large fruit plant in Modesto.
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Del Monte Foods to sell Hanford tomato processing plant, affecting 400-500 jobs."
