Farmer John meatpacking plant in Vernon to close soon
About 2,000 employees in Vernon will be without jobs.
VERNON, Calif. (KABC) -- The Farmer John meatpacking plant in Vernon is closing down.
The parent company, Smithfield Foods, announced that it will cease operations this month due to high costs. Moving forward, the products will be packaged and trucked in from the Smithfield Foods facilities in the Midwest.
Many employees were laid off Thursday. Close to 2,000 employees will be without jobs.
"I enjoyed it, it paid my bills. But now I'm like what am I gonna do," said Sheila Brown, former Farmer John employee.
According to Smithfield Foods, they're working with Vernon employees to help them transition to other locations.
The brand became a household name in the 1950s by showing up in TV ads.
Their pork gained popularity among baseball fans, at one point becoming the official Dodger Dog.
