Ice cream plant to close in Adams County
DECATUR, IN. (Inside INdiana Business) — Kansas City-based Dairy Farmers of America Inc. has notified the state it is closing an ice cream plant in Decatur and will be laying off more than 160 workers. DFA says the permanent closing of the Adams County plant is due to “changing market conditions.” The company says it will cease operations in September with layoffs occurring in waves.
“Unfortunately, the financial challenges associated with running the facility are just too great,” said Robin Galloway, president, DFA Dairy Brands Ice Cream. “The employees here have done an excellent job producing quality ice cream products, and we sincerely appreciate their hard work and dedication.”
The company expects the closing to be permanent. DFA says there are no bumping rights for affected employees. DFA is a national milk marketing cooperative, owned by about 13,000 dairy farmer-members.
“This was a difficult decision, but we have a responsibility to our dairy farmer-owners to operate financially sound businesses that bring them additional returns on their investments in the Cooperative,” said Galloway.
The plant produces a variety of ice creams under the Mayfield Dairy, Dean’s Country Fresh, and Friendly’s brands.
DFA acquired Deans Foods in 2020 as it was going through bankruptcy.