Wilcox Farms to Close Roy Dairy Facility (in WA)

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Sorry it was in a format that I couldn't copy the text from. Hopefully you can open it to read!

News Release -- Wilcox Farms to Close Roy Dairy Facility, Plans to Expand Organic and Cage-Free Egg Product Lines

http://www.wilcoxfarms.com/newsrelease.pdf

Here's some text from a local paper, if you can't open the above PDF file:

http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/350479.html

Wilcox turns away from milkHalf of employees in Roy face layoffs at end of MarchRolf Boone

The Olympian

ROY — Wilcox Family Farms will close its milk operations in this Pierce County town and lay off nearly half of the company's 365 employees, a spokeswoman for the company said Tuesday.

The 100-year-old Roy-based company will focus its energies on its organic, cage-free and other egg products, spokeswoman Kathy said.

Milk production in Roy will continue through the end of March and then gradually be shut down, said.

Wilcox milk production in the Eastern Washington town of Cheney and egg production in Aurora, Ore., will remain unchanged, she said.

The company also raises eggs on its 1,500-acre farm in Roy.

Tuesday's announcement affects 130 employees, though an unspecified number will transition into the company's egg business, said.

The company also plans to schedule job fairs for employees but no dates have been set, she said.

The company also plans to sell parts of the milk operation to Darigold, a Seattle-based dairy company, she said.

Darigold also will help with " customer transitions, " according to a news release.

Company officials could not immediately be reached, but said in a statement that dairy processing had not been profitable for the family farm for several years.

" We want to get out of the big company environment and back into real family farming, " director of dairy operations Jim Wilcox said. " We will continue to be in the organic and natural egg business and will go forward looking at new products, focusing on local food for local people. "

The Bayview and Ralph's Thriftway stores have sold Wilcox milk for many years, co-owner Stormans said.

Stormans said it was sad to learn that the Wilcox family would no longer be in the Western Washington milk business.

" I wish them well, " he said. " They've been a big support to the local community and innovative in the products they delivered. We are going to miss them. "

The effect of not having Wilcox milk to sell will be felt not only by Thriftway but by every grocer in Western Washington, Stormans said.

" People liked the product, " he said. " A lot of people support them for a number of reasons. " -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ :-) Shelton, WA (NW of Olympia, WA)

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