A food processing plant operated by a company with nearly 50 years of local history is shutting down, putting as many as 150 jobs on the line over the next year and a half. Maple Leaf Foods Inc. will phase out operations at its Lightlife Foods facility at 153 Industrial Blvd., with the shutdown expected to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2027.
The closure, part of what the company calls its Fuel for Growth initiative, will consolidate all U.S. plant-based protein manufacturing into a single 118,000-square-foot facility in Indianapolis, according to MassLive. That Indiana site was acquired by the company for $100 million in 2021, as detailed in a release from Maple Leaf Foods. A Seattle facility employing 120 people is also being shuttered under the same plan, per Green Queen.
A Local Legacy Dating to a Converted Car Wash
Lightlife's roots in the region run deep. The company was founded in Greenfield in 1979 as Tempeh Works by Michael Cohen and Chia Collins, operating out of a converted car wash before rebranding as Lightlife in 1984 and relocating to Turners Falls in 1998, according to the company's history on Wikipedia. Maple Leaf Foods bought Lightlife in February 2017 for $140 million from private equity firm Brynwood Partners, which had purchased the brand from Conagra Foods in 2013, as reported by Just Food.
The Turners Falls plant currently employs between 120 and 150 people across departments including packing, food safety, maintenance and human resources, the station's report notes. Maple Leaf Foods President and CEO Curtis Frank said the decision reflects changing market conditions and underutilized manufacturing networks, attributing the move to structural costs that are no longer sustainable across the company's three-facility network. Frank said the closure is not a reflection of employees' performance, adding that the company will support affected workers with respect, fairness and transparency.
Industry Headwinds Behind the Decision
The shutdown lands amid a broader retreat in the plant-based protein category. U.S. retail sales of plant-based meat and seafood fell 7% in 2024, while foodservice sales declined 5%. Alongside the U.S. plant closures, Maple Leaf relaunched Yves Veggie Cuisine after the brand was discontinued, with production at existing U.S. facilities.
Montague Town Administrator Walter Ramsey informed the Select Board of the impending closure on September 28. Maple Leaf Foods has long been considered a staple of the town's Airport Industrial Park, per the same MassLive account. MassHire Rapid Response is already working with the company to connect laid-off employees with local career centers for resume reviews and new job opportunities.
What the Closure Means for Montague's Budget
Beyond the job losses, the closure threatens to strain town finances. The facility sits on 5.5 acres last sold for $4.4 million and features large refrigerated spaces built for food processing and storage, assets that could make the site attractive to another industrial user. State Senator Jo Comerford's office has said it is prepared to assist Montague and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments as they search for a buyer.
Montague Select Board member Nate Card has floated one possibility: converting the site into a local produce processing facility that could put the refrigerated infrastructure to new use.
