The company told FOX26 News that the decision was made in part due to “high operating costs” in California and the opening of a new facility in Lubbock, Texas…
Leprino Food’s Lemoore East plant has been in continuous daily operation since 1910.
DB2
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The company said in 2024 that the move to close the California plant was a “difficult decision and one we do not take lightly.”
“This decision is influenced by several factors, including the facility’s age, anticipated capital requirements to make improvements to the facility and add or replace equipment and systems, high operating costs in California, the long-term milk supply outlook, and the increased capacity due to the opening of our Lubbock, Texas, facility,” it said, according to FOX26 News.
The company has another California plant, Lemoore West, which is not expected to be affected by the layoffs. The company describes the plant as “one of the largest cheese manufacturing facilities in the world,” equivalent to the size of 11 football fields.
The company’s new facility in Lubbock is expected to be fully operational in 2026, and will accommodate around 600 employees. The facility will convert around 8 million pounds of milk to cheese and dairy ingredients every day when completed.
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Nobody likes to see a business close down, although the northeast mills watched as their business went South, then overseas. Like Detroit, steel, and other industries, “it” happens.
Maybe California can console itself with this:
* California's economy expanded, with a 4.3% annual growth rate in Q2 2025, outperforming the overall U.S. growth rate for that quarter, though projections for the full year were more modest due to various pressures.
For part of the year California became the 4th largest economy in the world, although currency fluctuations later in the year moved it back to 5th, slightly behind Japan.
So yeah, big trouble there. Worth beating the drum because “cheese”.
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Note that the company spent a quarter of a billion dollars on a plant in Texas rather than modernizing the one in Lemoore. Another article indicated that the move also involves about a billion a year in wages.
So, yeah, it’s just cheese but it is also about the costs of doing business in different states.
DB2
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Sure. As I pointed out, nothing new under the sun.
Cars, textiles, steel, furniture, leather goods, apparel, call centers, food processing, shoes, aluminum, and apparently one cheese plant.
Alert the media.
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At a peak of 600ish employees, that’s an average annual salary of $1.67 million!
Holy heck, I’m moving to Lubbock to become a cheese curdler. Or…maybe the estimated payroll is vastly overinflated. I should do some research.
https://ci.lubbock.tx.us/storage/images/InyxdljJ0lAevLSE6Glsp2MPXQmLyEKrqPUQGE7l.pdf
Nevermind, I guess I’ll stay put in CO.
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Yup, I think somebody is math challenged. At the same time, even “regular” salaries contribute to “trickle down” economics.
DB2
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Oh geez, you’re poking. Surely you understand that trickle down economics refers to tax cuts and benefits for the wealthy and corporations…not how wage earners spend their money.
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California is not known as a dairy state. We don’t hear much about their cattle. Why make cheese there? Has to be close to market.
And why relocate to Texas? Lots of cattle but not a dairy state. Why not Wisconsin? Famous for it cheese and dairies.
Choice of Texas implies politics. Red state. Right to work state. Favorable labor laws. Attractive tax rates.
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California Dairy Industry Creates More Than 443,000 Jobs ... Yes, California has a massive dairy industry, being the nation's largest milk producer since 1993, a leader in butter, ice cream, and cheese (especially mozzarella), and a significant agricultural sector
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Everyone knows that California cows are happy cows!
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Texas dairy?
There are dairies all across the state.
Why Lubbock?
Gemini says:
{ …mega-dairies in the Texas Panhandle …
Why the Texas Panhandle?
The Panhandle region is prime for large-scale dairy operations due to favorable land, water, and agricultural conditions, hosting many of these mega-dairies.
In essence, Texas has several contenders for the largest, but Faria Brothers is a major name representing the immense scale of modern dairy in the state, alongside other significant operations in the High Plains. }
TX has mega churches, too. It’s all about the cheese.
ralph
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Southern California has an interesting history of Dutch immigrant dairy farmers. Too close to LA to survive , the dairies are now suburban housing, shopping malls, business parks, and freeways, powering the modern California economy.
Dairy and owner’s house surrounded by tract homes in Downey in 1957.
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Three of my high school classmates fled the city to do dairy in the interior of California: one on Sacramento River, one in Riverside County, and one in San Diego County.
California’s Monterey Jack cheeses date back to the late 18th century….
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Thanks for the info. I didn’t know and don’t recall hearing that before.
Learn something every day.
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I think it implies someone at Leprino is a huge Red Raiders fan…Go Texas Tech!
Texas is a huge dairy producer. Lubbock has a local university with advanced reasearch facilities for animal and food science. The Texas Enterprise Fund offers very attractive incentives for businesses too.
If Leprino was closing their CA plant and moving to TX because of politics, they’d close both plants in Lemoore, not just the one 115 year old plant they took over in 1980.
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Since I resided in Lemoore, California (Kings County) 1969-1971, while serving my last tour of active duty at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore as a U.S. Navy Supply Officer in charge of on-base Navy Exchange retail and services operations, I’m chiming in here late to add some comments for those interested.
Back in November 1969, on my way northbound on State Route 99 to report in at NAS Lemoore, soon-after taking the westbound exit to State Route 198, a strong odor of manure pervaded my car interior. I saw afar a large dairy farm among a large expanse of cotton fields. I approached some semblance of urban development, Hanford, the Kings County seat (with a 1970 population of 15,990; today with a 2024 (est) population of 60,594). Next appeared the small town of Lemoore with a 1970 population of 4,219 (today with a 2024 population of 27,057). Finally, appeared NAS Lemoore, an anomaly completely surrounded by large expanses of agricultural fields. My first thoughts were, “Oh, oh, this is not looking good.” However, as it turned out, not only was my Navy assignment one of my best highly rewarding and challenging jobs, but thanks to a Kings County cotton farmer and his family, who befriended me, I got an invaluable education in San Joaquin Valley agriculture.
Back in 1969, the milk plant, owned and operated by Knudsen, stood out in tiny Lemoore. [As an update, I learned that in 1986, Knudsen filed for Chapter 11 protection, and a federal bankruptcy judge approved the $9.5-million sale of Knudsen milk plants in Lemoore and Hughson to Leprino Foods, a Denver-based company.]
My cotton farmer friend introduced me to several of his long-time friends that owned and operated dairy farms in Kings County. One was the owner of Giacomazzi Dairy, California’s oldest dairy and known as the oldest dairy west of the Rockies.
[Update: Sadly, in October 2019, Dino Giacomazzi announced that Giacomazzi Dairy was ending operations after 125 years in business.
https://abc30.com/post/californias-oldest-dairy-ends-operations-after-125-years-in-business/5647619/
“Being that this dairy is over 125 years old, it’s not very efficient. It’s not modern, so we have to either invest to upgrade this dairy or invest in something else,” said dairy farmer Dino Giacomazzi.
It wasn’t an easy decision to end operation but he, as well as other local dairy farmers, say it’s becoming more of a challenge to stay afloat in the dairy industry.
“Over the last 5 years, its been very difficult to make money in the dairy industry, regulations, increased cost of labor, low milk prices,” he said.
And many are turning to more profitable crops.
“You’re better off putting your money into trees…almonds, pistachios, grapes. There’s a lot of alternatives that provide a higher return than milking cows,” Kasbergen said.
It’s an end of an era, but Giacamazzi says they plan to stay a part of the Hanford community and start over as almond farmers.
The family already has 400 acres of almond trees, and plan to grow that to 900 acres in the future.]
My cotton farmer friend also told me that many diaries in Central California were established by Portuguese immigrants.
[My input from Google AI Overview:
Azorean Portuguese immigrants began arriving in California in the early 1800s, often working on whaling ships, with significant waves in the late 19th/early 20th century (escaping hardship) and a major influx in the late 1950s-1970s (post-volcanoes/political issues). They primarily settled in agricultural areas, especially for dairy farming, shaping California’s Central Valley and coastal communities like Marin County.
Key Periods of Azorean Immigration to California:
Early 1800s: First settlers came from the Azores, often as crew on whaling ships, settling in coastal areas like Sausalito.
Late 1800s - 1920s (First Major Wave): Driven by poverty, volcanic eruptions, and crop failures in the Azores, many came seeking better lives, establishing dairy farms.
1958 - 1970s (Second Major Wave): A large wave arrived after volcanic eruptions on the islands (starting in 1957) and political instability, bolstering the agricultural sector.
Where They Settled & Their Impact:
Dairy Industry: Azorean immigrants became central to California’s dairy farms, especially in the Central Valley and areas like Marin County.
Cultural Centers: They established strong communities and cultural traditions, reflected in organizations and festivals (like the Festa do Espírito Santo).
Fishing: Later, they also played a key role in the tuna fishing industry.]
Since I was born and raised in Hawaii, I related to my cotton farmer friend that Azorean Portuguese immigrants also found their way to Hawai’i to work the sugarcane fields.
[my input from Google AI:
Azorean Portuguese immigration to Hawaii began in earnest in 1878, as laborers sought work on sugar plantations, with waves continuing until around 1913, bringing nearly 16,000 to over 20,000 people from the Azores and Madeira for better economic opportunities, leaving a lasting cultural mark.
Key Details:
Starting Point (1878): The first significant arrival of Portuguese laborers, many from the Azores and Madeira, marked the start of mass immigration to work the Hawaiian sugarcane fields.
Peak Period (1878-1913): Over the next few decades, tens of thousands of Portuguese immigrants journeyed to the islands.
Reasons for Migration: They came to escape poverty and seek better lives, finding work on plantations alongside other immigrant groups.
Cultural Impact: Azoreans and Madeirans introduced traditions, food (like sweet bread, malasadas), and strong Catholic faith, enriching Hawaii’s multicultural fabric.]
——————————————
Regards,
Ray
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From what I’ve read, this is the last thing CA needs because these kinds of crops consume lots and lots of water. And some years (not this year) there is a lack of sufficient water.
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