Ruiz Foods' Dinuba facility, where the company plans to permanently lay off 176 workers by Nov. 4. (Photo: Google Street View)

Frozen-food maker cites need to align production with customer demand

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Ruiz Foods plans to permanently lay off 176 workers at its Dinuba facility, according to a recent Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the state.

The family-owned food manufacturer, known for its frozen Mexican food products under the El Monterey brand, notified affected employees on Sept. 2, according to a statement from Ruiz Foods.

“This difficult decision impacts valued members of our team and is necessary to better align production capacity with anticipated customer demand,” said Ruiz Foods President and CEO Kimberli Carroll in a statement.

Of the 176 workers, six were laid off between Sept. 2 and 9, and 170 will be laid off Nov. 4, according to a WARN compliance letter from Tony Caetano, Ruiz Foods’ senior vice president of administration.

The Dinuba facility will transition to a five-day production schedule beginning Nov. 4 to better match production needs, align with operating schedules at other Ruiz Foods facilities and give Dinuba employees weekends off, according to the company statement.

Ruiz Foods will continue to invest in the facility and has planned capital investments to support its long-term operations there, the statement says.

Eligible employees will receive separation packages that include severance pay based on years of service, COBRA continuation coverage and information on unemployment benefits.

Laid-off employees also will be able to apply for open positions at other Ruiz Foods manufacturing facilities. The company has production operations at its headquarters in Denison, Texas, as well as in South Carolina and Vernon in Southern California in addition to Dinuba.

The company is also offering an early retirement incentive plan that provides eligible Dinuba team members who choose to retire with enhanced separation benefits.

There are no bargaining representatives for affected employees at the facility, according to the compliance letter.

All affected employees have been, or will be, given information on dislocated worker assistance and the CalFresh program, the letter states.

“The Company does not plan to coordinate services with the local workforce development board or another entity,” Caetano stated in the letter.