A major frozen food company is cutting more than 170 jobs at one of its California manufacturing plants, affecting workers at a facility that produces some familiar grocery-store favorites. The plant itself is expected to remain open, but its production schedule is changing as the company adjusts to anticipated demand.
Ruiz Foods is cutting 176 jobs
Ruiz Foods, the company behind popular frozen Mexican food brands including El Monterey and Tornados, is permanently eliminating 176 positions at its Dinuba, California, manufacturing facility.
Six employees were laid off between September 2 and September 9, while another 170 employees are scheduled to lose their jobs on November 4, according to a California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing.
The Dinuba facility currently employs approximately 1,400 workers, meaning the cuts represent a significant reduction in the plant’s workforce.
Why Ruiz Foods is making the cuts
Ruiz Foods President and CEO Kimberli Carroll said the decision was necessary to better align the company’s production capacity with anticipated customer demand. The company has not provided additional details about which specific products or production lines are driving the change.
Ruiz Foods said the “difficult” decision will “better align production capacity with anticipated customer demand.”
The California plant isn’t closing
Despite the layoffs, Ruiz Foods says the Dinuba facility will remain an important part of its manufacturing network.
The company also says it plans to continue investing in the plant, including capital investments intended to support its long-term operations there.
Affected employees are eligible for separation packages that include severance based on years of service, COBRA continuation coverage, and information about unemployment benefits. Workers will also have the opportunity to apply for open positions at other Ruiz Foods facilities.
The layoffs come two years after Ruiz Foods announced plans affecting 215 employees at its former Tulare facility, which the company ultimately closed in 2024.
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