Amy’s Kitchen is eliminating nearly 50 positions at its Pocatello manufacturing facility before the end of the year, according to a notice filed with state labor officials. The Petaluma-based food company announced permanent layoffs for workers at the Bannock County plant alongside the planned closure of its original production site in Santa Rosa, California.
A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice was submitted to the Idaho Department of Labor on Thursday. The document, signed by Chief People Officer Goretti Hamlin, lists December 18 as the effective separation date for affected employees. Pocatello Mayor Mark Dahlquist confirmed Friday that management notified city leaders of the cuts, specifying that 49 local jobs would be eliminated.
Production Shifts to Oregon
The workforce reduction in Idaho is part of a broader operational restructuring. Amy’s Kitchen is consolidating production lines by shifting certain manufacturing duties from Pocatello to its facility in Medford, Oregon. The Medford plant will assume responsibility for producing pizzas, soups, and burritos.
Pocatello remains designated as the company’s entrée facility. An engineering firm is currently assisting with upgrades at the Idaho site to support this specialized role. Company leadership stated that both the Pocatello and Medford facilities are expected to remain viable long-term operations.
The WARN notice was required due to the scale of corporate-level reductions, which include the closure of the Santa Rosa plant. That California facility is closing in phases over the coming months, with a final shutdown expected by the end of next year. The Santa Rosa closure affects approximately 207 jobs nationwide.
Impact on Local Workforce
The layoffs at the Pocatello plant will affect specific job classifications within the canning operation. According to the notice, the cuts include:
- 14 Cook II positions
- 14 Manufacturing Operator I positions
- 5 Manufacturing Operator II positions
- 5 Manufacturing Operator IV positions
Municipal officials indicated that the remainder of the Pocatello workforce will be retained. Mayor Dahlquist estimated that between 750 and 800 employees will continue working at the 479,000-square-foot facility after the December cuts are finalized.
Amy’s Kitchen opened its Pocatello plant in 2014, three years after establishing operations in Medford. The company has grown significantly since then, with annual retail sales nearing $1 billion. Demand for Amy’s products remains strong, according to corporate statements.
Labor Relations and History
Pocatello employees are not unionized and do not have bumping rights under current agreements. The company emphasized that labor dynamics at the Santa Rosa site did not influence the decision to close that facility or reduce staff in Idaho.
In 2022, a worker complaint regarding conditions at the Santa Rosa plant sparked a boycott that lasted more than two years. Past unionization efforts at the California site also drew public attention. Amy’s Kitchen stated that no similar labor concerns exist at its Oregon or Idaho operations.
CEO Paul Schiefer noted that the decision to close the Santa Rosa facility was not made lightly. Affected employees across all locations will receive separation packages, job-placement assistance, and counseling services as part of the transition.
Contact Information
Tami Frye is listed as the primary contact for questions regarding the Pocatello layoffs. Her office can be reached at 208-239-5103 or via email at tami.frye@amys.com.