'Everybody's in shock' at Mendota plant closure announcement

Without much warning or prelude, nearly 500 Mendota workers are being laid off starting in October after Del Monte announced its plant closure.

The 111 full-time employees and 362 seasonal employees will be laid off in stages that will end in June after they finish labeling, shipping and closing the plant.

Joanne McNally, a La Salle County Board member and the owner of Main Street Bar and Grill, said most of her customers are Del Monte employees and the mood has been somber around the town of roughly 7,300 people, to say the least.

"Everybody is trying to figure out what they're going to do," McNally, R-Mendota, said. "It's going to hit Mendota hard. Everybody's in shock. I mean, a small town like this, you've either worked there or everyone you know has worked there."

Del Monte officials announced in May canned goods were no longer going to be the company's focus and they've since announced the closure of two other plants, one in Cambria, Wis., and another in Crystal City, Texas.

The change in focus has cost Mendota one of its largest employers, a legacy business that opened in 1949.

"It's going to make a huge impact on everyone, young to old," McNally said. "I know the employees. They're customers of mine. They are shocked, sad and speechless. It's hitting everybody."

An Aug. 20 news release from Del Monte said these closures will allow them to "fully utilize the capacity of (their) existing production facilities and increase (their) focus on branded growth and innovation."

Emily McConville, Mendota's Economic Development Director, said she wishes they'd have reached out before coming to a decision that leaves the town in a really difficult position.

"It's done now," McConville said. "I know we'll figure it out. We went through the same thing with RR Donnelley when they left, too. We can do it again."

McConville was referring to the 2012 closure of RR Donnelley in Mendota that affected more than 200 employees.

McConville said one cause for hope is Del Monte took good care of the plant and the building is in great shape with actual siding along a main road, making it an attractive location for another manufacturer, especially with its location near Interstate 39.

Barry Beetz farms some of the area surrounding Mendota and a portion of his operation was being grown for Del Monte; while his operation won't be sunk by their departure, he feels for the families who have now lost what was a living-wage job with good benefits relative to the surrounding area.

"There's no plans to have current growers continue to grow for them, which was just a way to diversify our operation," Beetz said. "There are some financial advantages to growing peas and sweet corn sometimes but not every year. We can just replace it with other crops that we grow."

With the closure of the Del Monte plant and Vistra announcing the closure of its coal plant in Hennepin, the Illinois Valley anticipates another 60 jobs lost.

"Now all of these people either have to look for a new job or retire," Beetz said. "That's really tough, especially with other things that have gone on in this area. The plant closing down, the power plant closing down, all these places closing. There's challenges for higher pay employment around here. I feel bad for the families that are affected by it and I just hope everybody can find a job somewhere."

State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, posted information to her Facebook page about the state's Dislocated Worker Program. Workers who have been laid off due to a plant closure or a mass layoff can go to illinoisworknet.com/layoffassistance for help. The program offers assistance in searching for a new job, training and counseling, among other services.