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Ruiz Foods to Close Tulare, California, Processing Plant

May 31, 2024

Originally opened in 2004 to provide short-term capacity as an extension of the Dinuba, Calif., plant, Tulare will shut down operations later this year.

Andy Hanacek

Ruiz Foods has announced that it will shut down operations at its Tulare, Calif., processing facility later this year, 20 years after it was first opened.

The company noted that the plant operated as an extension of the Dinuba, Calif., flagship plant, and when it opened in 2004, it was intended to provide short-term capacity for the company. Now, Ruiz Foods says, the facility is too small and requires substantial capital investment to keep up with the company’s needs. The plant will be taken out of service between Aug. 30 and Sept. 13, 2024, the company said.

The company told Food Processing via email that 215 employees would be impacted by the closure, and it expected to provide support and alternatives, including the option to transfer to Dinuba for some of those workers.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

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.