Significant layoffs are happening at the largest frozen Mexican food producer in the U.S. This follows Ruiz Foods’ relocation from California to Texas about two years ago.
The company is cutting 176 positions at its Dinuba plant, located roughly 40 miles south of Fresno, as revealed in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice. Ruiz Foods is known for producing a variety of Mexican food products such as burritos, enchiladas, tamales, and quesadillas under the brands Tornados and El Monterey.
Employees impacted by these cuts were informed on September 2, and this reduction represents about 12.5% of the workforce at the facility, per the company’s statement.
The job reductions will take effect on November 4, affecting a plant that currently employs 1,400 individuals.
The company mentioned that starting in November, the production schedule will shift to a five-day week. This change aims to better align production with customer demand and to synchronize operating schedules with other Ruiz Foods facilities, giving Dinuba employees weekends off.
Kimberli Carroll, president and CEO of Ruiz Foods, commented on the challenging nature of this decision, stating it was unavoidable in order to align production capabilities with expected customer demand.
This news hits particularly hard in the Central Valley, as the company previously eliminated over 200 jobs in 2024 upon closing its manufacturing site in Tulare, which is also about 40 miles from Dinuba.
When that closure was announced, Ruiz Foods explained that the facility was undersized and would need considerable investment to meet manufacturing requirements to remain integrated into the Ruiz Foods network.
Notably, the company moved its headquarters from Dinuba to Frisco, Texas, the same year.
In a Dinuba Facebook group, discussions surrounding the layoffs suggested that the state’s business environment is challenging. Some members noted that while they can sell products in California, the high taxes are problematic for companies choosing where to base their operations. Comments reflected a sense of inevitability about the layoffs following the relocation to Texas.
Ruiz Foods, a family-owned business, began in Tulare back in 1964 thanks to Fred Ruiz and his father, Louis. They started in a small warehouse, using Grandma Rosie’s recipes for their initial products.
In 1990, they built a large manufacturing facility and distribution warehouse in Dinuba, which then became their headquarters.
Years later, Ruiz Foods would also expand into Texas and South Carolina, establishing manufacturing facilities there. During a commencement address at UC Merced in 2021, Fred Ruiz mentioned that the company was seeing annual sales exceeding $1 billion, employing around 4,000 people at that time.
