Update: ‘Significant’ income drop prompted Bronco Wine to shed 81 workers in Stanislaus
Declining income has prompted Bronco Wine Co. to lay off 81 of its Stanislaus County employees, a state agency reported.
The move, effective April 8, will leave the business with about 670 workers in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Madera and Napa counties.
Bronco filed the required notice Feb. 6 with the California Employment Development Department. It noted “a significant downturn in business revenues, necessitating a major reorganization in operations and workforce.”
A spokesperson for Bronco could not be reached Tuesday for comment. The family-owned company does not disclose sales or other financial details.
The layoffs are permanent and include the parent company and two affiliates. WC Ag Services handles grape growing. Bivio Transport and Logistics moves the products.
Bronco has become one of the industry’s top producers since its founding in 1973 off Keyes Road, south of Ceres. It later acquired the former Petri Winery, west of Escalon, and the Simpson Meadow Winery, southwest of Madera. Bronco built its own bottling plant in Napa.
It has dozens of brands, ranging from lower-priced bottles from the San Joaquin Valley to premium coastal regions. The best-known is Charles Shaw, initially selling for $1.99 at Trader Joe’s and dubbed Two Buck Chuck.
Bronco was launched by brothers Fred and Joseph Franzia and cousin John Franzia. Their grandparents in 1906 had started the winery by that name near Ripon. That plant is now owned by The Wine Group, based in Livermore, as is the Franzia boxed wine brand.
The layoff notice came about two weeks after Foster Farms announced that 519 raw turkey workers in Turlock would be let go as of May 9. The cooked-turkey portion of the operation will continue. Turkey workers could seek openings in Valley chicken plants.
Displaced people in all sectors can get help on retraining and other services at Stanislaus County Workforce Development.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 1:50 PM.
