Workers in two metro areas are staring down a long runway to closure after Maker’s Pride announced on March 12 that it will wind down operations at its manufacturing facilities in Salt Lake City and Shakopee, Minnesota. Both plants are scheduled to close by the third quarter of 2026, part of what the company describes as a sweeping effort to modernize its network and pour more money into advanced automation. Maker’s Pride says it expects to offer transition resources to affected employees, though local officials in either metro had not yet weighed in publicly at the time of the announcement.
Company statement and timeline
In a company release, CEO Darlene Nicosia said the decision “was not made lightly” and presented the wind-down as one of several steps meant to position the manufacturing network for long-term growth, according to Business Wire. The same release sets the target for completing the shutdowns in the third quarter of 2026 and lists Jennifer Kraft, the company’s chief legal officer, as the media contact.
Local footprints
The Salt Lake City facility shows up in federal food safety records kept by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to USDA/FSIS. The Shakopee operation appears on manufacturer lists used for federal food programs and certification registries, according to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
Company background and context
Maker’s Pride emerged from the Chapter 11 restructuring of Hearthside and was introduced as the company’s new brand in 2025, a shift the company cast as a financial reset aimed at reducing debt and sharpening its operational focus, per Maker’s Pride. Trade coverage has documented earlier plant closures tied to that same restructuring period, including the shutdown of an Anaheim facility in 2025, according to Food Business News.
What to watch next
In the coming months, workers, suppliers, and local workforce agencies will be looking for detailed closure timelines, any Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings, and clarity on whether there will be opportunities for reassignment or severance. Maker’s Pride has filed WARN notices in other states during its restructuring, including a January 2026 filing in Idaho, according to the Idaho Department of Labor. The company reiterated in its latest announcement that it intends to provide transition resources, but it did not disclose how many jobs are on the line at the Salt Lake City or Shakopee plants.
