Pennsylvania is preparing for another major food-industry closure, months after a large beef plant shutdown eliminated nearly 1,500 jobs. ASK Foods plans to stop production at its Palmyra operation on December 1, affecting 96 employees.
The prepared-food manufacturer has operated in the Lebanon County borough since 1947. Its planned shutdown will end a nearly 80-year run for a business that began as the A.S. Kettering Company.
Closure is planned for December 1
Pennsylvania’s October WARN list identifies the action as a closure at 77 North Hetrick Avenue in Palmyra. The state record lists 96 affected employees and a December 1 effective date.
Production is expected to end that day, although shipments may continue through the rest of the week. Mrs. Gerry’s CEO Kevin Green told local news outlet LebTown that the company does not expect to maintain a presence in Lebanon County after operations wind down.
A major customer loss changed the outlook
According to Green, ASK Foods lost a very large customer during the first quarter of 2026. The company’s WARN letter attributed a significant decline in demand largely to the loss of business from Wegmans.
Management tried to make the operation viable by increasing volume, reducing costs and improving efficiency, Green said. Those efforts were not enough to sustain the Palmyra plant, and the parent company decided to consolidate its manufacturing footprint.
ASK Foods was acquired in July 2025 by Minnesota-based Mrs. Gerry’s, which is backed by Sequel Holdings. Production is being consolidated into Mrs. Gerry’s facility in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and Garden-Fresh Foods in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Both operations make prepared foods similar to those produced in Palmyra.
Workers are receiving transition support
Green said company representatives met individually with nearly every ASK Foods employee to explain the closure and available assistance. Severance payments will be based on years of service, while the company is also offering help with résumés and job placement.
The closure removes a long-running manufacturer from Palmyra less than two years after the business changed ownership. The company has not announced what will happen to its local properties, and the WARN information does not break down the 96 affected jobs by position.
For employees, the most immediate milestone is December 1, when production is scheduled to stop. Until then, the closure remains planned rather than completed.
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