Major food company to close decades-old Colorado factory and lay off 90 workers

A longtime food manufacturing operation in Colorado is shutting down after decades of producing tortillas for customers in the region. The closure will eliminate dozens of jobs and marks a significant change for a facility with deep roots in the local community.

Mission Foods plant is closing

Mission Foods has permanently closed its tortilla manufacturing plant in Pueblo, Colorado, affecting 90 employees, according to a WARN notice filed with the state. The company said production at the facility ended August 14, although employees will continue receiving pay and benefits through the facility’s official closure date.

The layoffs are scheduled to begin October 13, with all affected employees expected to be separated by October 27.

The Pueblo facility has a long history in the community. The operation began as Candy’s Tortilla Factory in the 1950s before Mission Foods acquired the business in 1994. Mission Foods is part of Gruma, a major international producer of tortillas and corn flour products.

Workers face permanent layoffs

Mission Foods has confirmed that the affected positions will be permanently eliminated. The company said it has notified employees of their separation dates and is supporting workers as they transition to new employment.

Some union employees may have the opportunity to move into other positions. According to the WARN notice, eligible workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers union can exercise “bumping rights,” allowing them to displace less-senior employees at Mission Foods’ nearby Pueblo distribution center. 

Company will remain in Pueblo

Despite the manufacturing plant closure, Mission Foods said it will continue operating distribution centers in both Pueblo and Denver.

The company has not publicly provided a detailed explanation for why it decided to permanently close the manufacturing facility. UFCW Local 7, which represents workers at the plant, criticized the decision and cited what it described as years of underinvestment in the facility. 

For Pueblo, the closure represents the loss of another longtime manufacturing operation and 90 local jobs, while Mission Foods’ distribution operations will continue in the area.

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