Pillsbury to Close Santa Fe Springs Plant, Lay Off 280

Pillsbury, as a cost-cutting measure, will close its Santa Fe Springs frozen-food processing center and lay off about 280 workers by May 29, company officials announced Monday.

The Minneapolis-based food, drink and retail giant will transfer production of Van de Kamp’s frozen fish and Mexican foods to its Erie, Pa., plant to lower overhead costs, company spokesman Larry Haeg said. The Santa Fe Springs facility will then be sold, plant manager Duane Larson said.

“We had to take another look at the efficiency of the plant,” Haeg said in a telephone interview from Pillsbury headquarters. He added that the company will open a job-location service next week for employees who will be laid off.

Pillsbury, which employs about 740 workers at three other California facilities, bought the Santa Fe Springs plant in 1984, Haeg said. He declined to say how much money Pillsbury expects to save by the plant closure.