Monterey Gourmet Foods to Close Eugene, Oregon Plant

The company assessed all of its production facilities and determined that relocating the Eugene plant production to the state-of-the-art Kent facility would optimize overall asset utilization and provide customers with more innovative and flexible production runs.

17 Aug 2009 Monterey Gourmet Foods, a manufacturer and marketer of fresh gourmet refrigerated food products, announced that it will close its Eugene, Oregon facility, and move the manufacturing of its Emerald Valley Kitchen products to Kent, Washington. The Eugene plant will close on September 4, 2009.

“This was a very difficult decision because it affects the lives of our people, their families and the community,” said Eric C. Eddings, CEO of Monterey Gourmet Foods. “We want to thank our employees at the facility for their hard work, dedication, loyalty and many years of service.”

In making this decision, the company assessed all of its production facilities and determined that relocating the Eugene plant production to the state-of-the-art Kent facility would optimize overall asset utilization and provide customers with more innovative and flexible production runs they require in response to changing consumer preferences. The Eugene, Oregon closing will affect approximately 25 people, who have been given advance notice. Management and human resource personnel have been meeting with Eugene staff to discuss other potential employment opportunities within the company, severance, health, welfare, dental benefits, and other information pertinent to the employees. The company is also working cooperatively with the state and local governments to provide information about unemployment benefits and other job opportunities.

In addition, the Company will continue to support the local Eugene community and its charitable organizations. Since 1984 Emerald Valley Kitchen, a division of Monterey Gourmet Foods since 2003, has donated a minimum of 5% of profits from the Emerald Valley Kitchen brand to ecological and humanitarian projects in the greater Eugene/Portland area.