The D.F.A announced Friday that come this fall, they will cease production at their facility just south west of Decatur. The plant makes ice cream products for Mayfield Dairy, Dean’s Country Fresh, and Friendly’s brand. Production is scheduled to stop on Sept. 10.
Currently 160 people work at the Decatur plant. The corporation said in a press release that they are working with local agencies to identify employment opportunities and job placement services.
D.F.A. president Robin Galloway said the decision was not easy.
“Unfortunately, the financial challenges associated with running the facility are just too great,” Galloway stated in a press release. “The employees here have done an excellent job producing quality ice cream products, and we sincerely appreciate their hard work and dedication.”
According to WANE 15’s newsgathering partner, Fort Wayne Business Weekly, the plant was sold to D.F.A in 2020 by Dean Foods along with a plant in Huntington. Dean filed for bankruptcy near the end of 2019 and announced a $425 million asset purchase agreement with the D.F.A in early 2020. The D.F.A. said a major contributing factor in their decision was the changing market conditions.
