Leprino Foods to shut down East Plant in Lemoore, over 300 jobs to be cut

LEMOORE, Calif. (FOX26) — Leprino Foods has announced plans to close its East Plant in Lemoore by December 2025.

The closure will result in the loss of 327 jobs.

An employee from the plant confirmed that a meeting was held to inform all staff of the impending closure.

The East Plant, located at 490 F Street, will cease operations, but the company’s West Plant on Belle Haven Drive will remain unaffected.

FOX26 News reached out to Leprino who provided the following statement:

Leprino Foods regularly assesses our manufacturing network to ensure we can meet both current and future production demands while adapting to the evolving needs of our customers. Following a thorough evaluation, we intend to close our Lemoore East facility in early 2026. This is a difficult decision and one we do not take lightly.

This decision is influenced by several factors, including the facility’s age, anticipated capital requirements to make improvements to the facility and add or replace equipment and systems, high operating costs in California, the long-term milk supply outlook, and the increased capacity due to the opening of our Lubbock, Texas facility.

We are announcing this decision now, more than a year in advance, as part of our commitment to supporting the Lemoore East team through a cooperative, thoughtful transition. This choice in no way reflects the hard work of our approximately 300 Lemoore East employees, who contribute to Leprino’s success every day.

Over the coming months, we will work closely with our Lemoore East employees, union representatives, and community leaders to provide transition support and resources for affected team members.

Our dedication to serving customers and honoring our commitments remains unwavering. This change will not affect the quality, service or reliability our customers expect of us and our products.