TL;DR
Nestlé plans to end production at its Solon, Ohio, factory by the third quarter of 2027 and close the factory by year’s end, moving foodservice pouch production to Gaffney, South Carolina. The company has not said how many employees will be affected and plans to file a WARN notice around March. Other operations on the broader Solon campus are expected to continue.
Nestlé plans to close its Solon, Ohio, factory by the end of 2027, shifting production of pouches for its foodservice business to a facility in Gaffney, South Carolina. The company expects production in Solon to end by the third quarter of 2027; the number of workers affected has not been disclosed.
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The Switzerland-based food company said the move responds to changing consumer needs and shifts in product volumes. Production will transfer gradually over the coming months, according to the report published by Food Dive on Oct. 20, 2026. Nestlé described using capabilities already in its network as its preferred path, but did not provide public figures for expected savings, production capacity or investment at the receiving plant.
The announced closure applies to the Solon factory, not the entire Solon campus. Nestlé said the wider campus will continue to house research and development, corporate operations and several of its businesses. The company also said it has nearly 3,000 employees across seven facilities in Ohio.
Nestlé has not said how many employees at the factory will lose their jobs or be offered other roles. The company plans to file a WARN notice around March, according to Food Dive. That notice is expected to provide further information about workforce effects, although the report does not specify the exact filing date or the number of workers involved.
Jobs and Operations in Solon
The decision means production work at the factory is set to leave Solon, with possible consequences for employees and the local community. The company’s statement acknowledged the effect on workers and community members, but the scale of that effect is not yet known. The planned WARN filing is a key upcoming source of information about employment impacts.
At the same time, the distinction between the factory and the broader campus matters: Nestlé says research, corporate operations and other businesses will remain in Solon. The announcement therefore does not establish that all Nestlé activity in the city will end. The move also places production at Gaffney, but the company has not detailed what staffing or operational changes there may follow.
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Earlier Solon Workforce Cuts
The announcement follows an earlier workforce reduction at the Solon factory. In 2024, Nestlé announced plans to lay off 216 workers there; the facility employed 780 people at the time, Food Dive reported. Those figures describe the 2024 announcement and do not establish how many people will be affected by the newly announced closure.
The move comes as Nestlé leaders have raised concerns about the company’s performance in North America. Chief Financial Officer Anna Manz told a Barclays conference that more needed to be done to improve regional execution. She identified creamers and Gerber as underperforming and said frozen food was growing more slowly. The report does not say those comments directly prompted the Solon decision.
Food Dive also reported that food and beverage companies have announced facility closures amid efforts to improve network efficiency, manage costs and align supply with demand. It named PepsiCo, Tyson Foods, JBS, Danone and Mars among companies announcing closures that year. This industry backdrop does not, by itself, explain Nestlé’s specific calculations for Solon.
“As customer needs and volumes evolve, we determined that building on capabilities already in place elsewhere in our network was the most sustainable path forward.”
— Nestlé, in a statement quoted by Food Dive
Workforce Effects Still Undisclosed
The main unanswered question is how many employees will be affected and whether any can move to other roles or locations. Nestlé has not disclosed those details, and its planned WARN filing around March may clarify the employment impact. The exact date for that filing has not been given.
Other operational details also remain unreported, including the cost of the move, the Gaffney factory’s additional capacity or staffing needs, and whether production will transfer on a specific timetable within the stated gradual transition. The company has said the broader Solon campus will remain active, but has not specified whether its operations or workforce will change.
WARN Filing and Production Move
Nestlé expects to file a WARN notice around March, according to Food Dive. The notice should help clarify the expected workforce impact, though the company has not announced an exact date or provided advance headcount figures.
Production is expected to shift gradually to Gaffney over the coming months, with Solon production ending by the third quarter of 2027. The factory is expected to close by the end of 2027. Nestlé has not provided further milestones for the transfer.
Key Questions
When will the Nestlé factory in Solon close?
Nestlé expects production at the factory to end by the third quarter of 2027, with the facility closing by the end of that year.
Where will Solon’s production move?
Production of pouches for Nestlé’s foodservice business will move to the company’s factory in Gaffney, South Carolina.
How many workers will be affected?
Nestlé has not disclosed the number of employees affected by the closure. Food Dive reported that the company plans to file a WARN notice around March.
Is Nestlé closing its entire Solon campus?
No. Nestlé said the broader campus will continue to house research and development, corporate operations and several company businesses. The closure announcement concerns the factory.
Source: rss
