US plant-based dairy manufacturer Miyoko’s Creamery has announced it will discontinue production at its facility in Petaluma, California.
The plant is to close on 1 January 2024, the company said in a statement.
It described the move as a “difficult decision”, saying the company's recent expansion has brought about the need for “more scalable production capacity and greater efficiencies” to better manage the “complex economic environment”.
Just Food has asked Miyoko’s Creamery for further information on how many employees are impacted by the decision, the number of remaining facilities, and where it plans to shift production to.
The business first expanded to Petaluma in 2018 to boost capacity and meet growing demand for its products.
A smaller production facility in Fairfax was also in use when the company was founded in 2014, but it is unclear if that site is still in operation.
The Miyoko’s Creamery portfolio includes a range of plant milk butters, cheese spreads, cream cheese and pourable mozzarella.
In the statement, the company added: “What started as a mission to make innovative plant-based alternatives and bring them into millions of homes has grown beyond our wildest dreams, which would not have been possible without the Petaluma manufacturing team, to whom we are eternally grateful for their hard work and determination.
“We want to emphasise our appreciation for everyone at the Petaluma factory and reaffirm our commitment to continue delivering the highest quality plant-based products that our customers know us for.”
Stuart Kronauge was appointed as the new CEO of the company in August, taking over from Jon Blair, who had been in the role since February when founder and former chief executive Miyoko Schinner left the company.
Miyoko’s Creamery filed a lawsuit against Schinner following her departure, which she met with a countersuit, alleging that she had faced gender discrimination.
The lawsuit was settled in May this year. In a statement, the company said it was heading into “a new stage of growth.”
