Update: Agency has help for 1,800 losing jobs at Del Monte cannery in Modesto
Del Monte Foods will close its Modesto fruit cannery, a loss of about 600 year-round jobs and 1,200 more during the harvest.
A union leader said Friday that workers were informed of the closure during meetings Thursday at the Yosemite Boulevard plant.
Del Monte had filed for bankruptcy July 1, prompting an auction of its properties around the nation. No one offered to keep the Modesto cannery running. The shutdown also closes off a market for growers of peaches, apricots and pears.
The cannery workers are represented by Local 948 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The pay ranged from about $20 to $40 an hour, depending on experience, business coordinator Odus Hall said by phone.
“It’s just horrible for us,” he said of the closure. “... We were hopeful that they would be able to right the ship and find a buyer.”
The displaced workers can get help with retraining and job searches at Stanislaus County Workforce Development. The agency keeps in touch with other employers with openings, Director Doris Foster said by email.
On social media, some people identifying themselves as employees are sending out job feelers. “I’m seeking a new role and would appreciate your support,” Daniel Bucknell wrote on Facebook. “If you hear of any opportunities or just want to catch up, please send me a message. I’d love to reconnect. ... I’m looking for Manufacturing Engineer, Project Engineer, Project Manager, Maintenance Engineer, and Design Engineer roles. I’m not opposed to a career change opportunity either if an opportunity arises. I do a lot of auto repair on the side. ...”
The Del Monte closure leaves only one fruit canner in the region: Pacific Coast Producers in Lodi. It did not offer to take over the Modesto plant in the auction. It did spend $82.2 million for warehoused goods from past harvests, which it will sell under the Del Monte label.
Modesto was the heart of a canned fruit industry that employed several thousand people at its peak half a century ago. Consumers have shifted toward fresh products, despite claims that canned is just as nutritious, and available year-round.
County Supervisor Vito Chiesa, who’s a farmer, said the Del Monte closure is another loss in the dwindling cannery industry in Stanislaus County, which once featured names like Tillie Lewis, Cal-Can and Tri-Valley Growers. He said the bankruptcy of Tri Valley Growers is what caused his family to leave the peach-growing business.
“Canneries are declining along with canned goods in general.” Chiesa said. “You used go to the supermarket and see whole aisles filled with canned goods.”
Chiesa, who represents the Turlock and Hughson areas, said local peach growers will suffer if they have contracts to sell the fruit to Del Monte. “It’s also hard for the employees,” he said. “Some people spent their entire (working) lives there. Hopefully we can find places of employment for them. It may take some time.”
The need for hand-picking of fruit adds to the production cost, prompting some growers to shift to mechanized crops like almonds and walnuts. Stanislaus County had 2,676 acres of peach trees as of 2024, down from 13,332 in 1980, according to its agricultural commissioner’s office.
Del Monte canned peaches from early summer to early fall, along with smaller volumes of apricots and pears. The company honored the 2025 grower contracts despite the bankruptcy filing, according to the California Canning Peach Association. It could not be reached for comment on the closure Friday.
Del Monte was founded in 1886 in San Francisco. It mainly canned crops grown in the Bay Area early on, then shifted to the Central Valley. The company went on to become a national leader in fruit, tomatoes and other vegetables, both canned and fresh.
The company had a Hanford plant for tomatoes canned under the Del Monte and Contadina labels. It processed other fruits and vegetables in Washington state, Wisconsin and Mexico. The business also made College Inn and Kitchen Basics broths and Joyba bubble teas.
Stanislaus County Workplace Development helps affected workers with resumes, interviews and information about openings.
“In many cases.” Foster said, “other businesses have shared with us the need for skilled labor, and we can make a warm handoff to another similar industry employer.”
The region has plenty of other food and beverage processors, including dairy, poultry, wine and nuts.
Tomato canning remains a major industry in the Valley. The plants include Stanislaus Food Products in Modesto, Escalon Premier Brands just to the north, ConAgra Foods in Oakdale and two companies near Los Banos.
Bee staff writer Ken Carlson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 9:30 AM.
