USA: Blue Diamond Growers to close Sacramento almond plant

Blue Diamond Growers, a US cooperative of almond growers, is set to close a plant in Sacramento (CA) and transfer most of its manufacturing operations to its existing facilities in Turlock and Salida, in the same state.

Founded in 1910, Blue Diamond Growers is the world’s leading almond cooperative, supporting nearly 3,000 almond growers across California. Headquartered in Sacramento, the company has a workforce of about 1,400.

Commenting on the move, Blue Diamond Growers president and CEO Kai Bockmann said: “Our Sacramento team’s work ethic and incredible drive have enabled us to build Blue Diamond into what it is today. However, the challenges of running a plant from these historical buildings has become too costly and inefficient. Streamlining our manufacturing plants is the right business move to further strengthen our market-leading position and bring increased value to our grower members”.

The phased move starts later this year, with 10% of employees exiting first and 600 affected overall.

Source: Blue Diamond