Hunt-Wesson to Close Canning Plant in California

Hunt-Wesson Inc. will close its tomato canning plant in Davis, CA, at the end of the tomato harvesting season next year. The closure comes as Hunt-Wesson's parent company, ConAgra Inc., proceeds with a restructuring plan that will eliminate more than 7,000 jobs worldwide, see related article.

The company will shift tomato processing to more modern plants in Oakdale and Helm, both near Modesto. The loss of the plant, one of the larger ones in the state, reduces the number of customers for growers in Yolo County, which is the number two tomato-growing region in California, behind Fresno County.

The plant closure will result of about 620 full-time and seasonal jobs. In addition to the Yolo County job losses, the Hunt-Wesson closure will likely have repercussions for local growers who sell tomatoes to the company.