Saputo to close Fond du Lac plant

The Business Journal of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI

Saputo Cheese USA Inc. plans to close one of its plants in Fond du Lac by the end of the year, leaving 39 employees without jobs.

Layoffs are expected to occur no later than Dec. 31, according to a plant closing notice filed Monday with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

The decision is part of the company’s effort to improve overall operational efficiency, according to the notice.

The Saputo plant, 325 Tompkins St., produces sweetened condensed milk products. The company also operates a plant in Fond du Lac with 150 employees that makes blue cheese and other products. That plant remains unaffected, a company spokesman said.

The Teamsters union Local 200 represents 31 of the 39 employees that are expected to be laid off. Employees will have the opportunity to transfer to one of Saputo's eight other locations in Wisconsin, according to a report by the Fond du Lac Reporter.