Nestlé USA will close its factory in Solon by the end of 2027 and move production of its Nestlé Professional Solutions frozen meal pouches to the company’s existing factory in Gaffney, South Carolina, the company told employees on Monday, October 19. Production in Solon is expected to conclude by the third quarter of 2027, with the plant shutting down in the final quarter of the year.
The decision affects hundreds of positions, although Nestlé has not released an exact number of employees who will be impacted. The company said it expects to file a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, notice around March 2027. Impacted employees will be eligible to apply for open roles at other Nestlé locations, including in Ohio.
The closure covers only the Solon factory. Nestlé emphasized that its broader Solon campus, including its research, development and corporate operations, will remain in the city, and it confirmed that its Streetsboro Distribution Center and its manufacturing facility on West 25th Street in Cleveland will continue operating. The company employs nearly 3,000 people across seven facilities statewide.
“This is difficult news for Solon and for the employees and families affected. Nestlé has long been a big part of our community, and we’re grateful for its continued commitment to Solon through its R&D and corporate operations here,” Solon Mayor Edward Kraus said. “The City will work with Nestlé and our state and regional partners to connect affected workers with job placement and support services.”
Nestlé said it is supporting impacted factory employees through comprehensive separation and transition support, including collaboration with state and local partners. In a statement, the company said that as customer needs and volumes evolve, building on capabilities already in place elsewhere in its network was the most sustainable path forward.
The Solon operation traces back more than a century to the Stouffer family, which began in the restaurant business in 1922 and launched the Stouffer’s frozen food line in the 1950s. Stouffer’s built its Solon production facility in 1968, five years before Nestlé acquired the company in 1973. Brands including Lean Cuisine, Hot Pockets, DiGiorno and Tombstone have since been managed from Solon.
The phased timeline gives Solon workers and local officials more than a year before production winds down. City and regional partners say job placement and support services will be organized for affected families as the transition to South Carolina proceeds through 2027.
Photo: Mayor Pez, CC BY-SA 3.0