Buitoni plans to permanently close its pasta plant in Danville, Virginia, on December 28, adding to a recent run of food factory closure announcements. The shutdown is expected to eliminate all 251 jobs at the facility.
The company disclosed the plan in an October 28 notice covering its operation at 201 Airside Drive. Virginia’s workforce agency lists the action as a closure, with December 28 as the impact date.
All 251 positions are set to end
According to the official Virginia WARN listing, the Danville closure is permanent and will affect 251 employees. A company letter shared by the City of Danville says all separations are expected to occur on December 28 and that workers are being notified individually or through their union representative.
The notice names United Steelworkers Local 9555 as the collective bargaining unit. It also says affected employees will not have bumping rights—the ability to move into another position based on seniority—because every job at the site is being eliminated.
Buitoni has not publicly given a reason for the shutdown. The notice also does not say where production will move, what will happen to the plant, or whether any workers could find positions elsewhere in the company.
A long-running pasta operation in Danville
The Danville plant makes Buitoni’s refrigerated Italian food products. The brand’s current lineup includes ravioli, tortellini, gnocchi, flat pasta, pesto, sauces and shredded cheese. United Steelworkers described the site in 2023 as producing pasta, sauce and cheese, with some longtime employees having spent nearly two decades at the factory.
The facility was previously part of Nestlé’s North American Buitoni business. Nestlé sold that operation in 2020, including the Danville plant, and Artisan Chef Manufacturing Company acquired Buitoni Food Company in September 2024.
At the time of the 2020 sale, the plant employed about 525 people and also made Nestlé Toll House cookie dough under a supply agreement. The site was still recruiting for 80 full-time general labor positions in April 2022, making the planned elimination of its remaining 251 positions a sharp reversal for the operation.
The December closure will bring a sizable change for the Danville workforce less than two and a half years after that latest ownership transition. For now, the company’s filing provides a firm shutdown timetable and job count, but it leaves unanswered what prompted the decision and what comes next for the property.
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