Del Monte Foods to shutter fruit processing plant in Washington state

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Dive Brief:

• Del Monte Foods closed a processing plant and two warehouses in Yakima, Washington, that produce and store fruits including pears and cherries.
• A Washington state WARN notice estimated 51 workers and 448 seasonal employees will be impacted by the closure.
• Carissa Sauer, corporate communications senior manager at Del Monte Foods, said the closures took place “to align the business with consumer demand.”

Dive Insight:

The WARN notice said the “expected beginning date of separations” at the locations is Aug. 8. Del Monte said the closure means no fruit will be packed for the 2025 season at the Yakima facility.

The decision by Del Monte marks the second major closure by the canned vegetable and fruit cups company in the last year. In early 2024, it closed facilities in Washington and Wisconsin amid a “reset in consumer behavior.”

Since then, inflation has continued to remain at high levels and growing economic uncertainty has prompted consumers to cut back on how much they purchase. Several companies this year have responded by announcing plant closures, including PepsiCo, Post Holdings, Conagra Brands and J.M. Smucker.

Companies such as Del Monte Foods could feel added pressure as steel tariffs put in place by the Trump administration are expected to lead to higher prices for canned goods. Conagra last week said the Hunt’s tomato maker is seeking to mitigate steel tariffs’ impact on cans while The Campbell’s Company, which imports tinplate steel for cans, said trade headwinds could cut into its fiscal-year earnings.

The Yakima plant primarily produces canned pears, as well as cherries and apples. A historic deep freeze last winter shrunk  pear production in the Northwest by close to a one-third compared to the five-year average.