The final days of the Lancaster, Pa., former Kunzler & Co. processing plant — acquired by Clemens Food Group in May 2024 — have been clarified by Clemens, according to a local news report. The facility will be shut down Dec. 7, with production ending that day and 193 employees being laid off at that point.
Over the summer, Clemens began looking for prospective buyers for the facility and shifted all production — with the exception of private label hot dogs — to other plants in its network. The local union representing the workforce has been in contract talks with Clemens and will seek a meeting in the next week — it also filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board after being notified of the layoffs.
According to a written statement from Clemens shared with the local news outlet, the company is continuing to speak with an interested buyer and would still like to sell the plant to someone who can update the facility and also retain the employment opportunities there.
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.
