Ornua, the Irish dairy giant renowned for producing Kerrygold dairy products, is closing down one of its cheese plants in Pennsylvania, putting 66 jobs in jeopardy. The Lawrence County plant shutdown was announced just days before St. Patrick’s Day, leaving employees of the international dairy manufacturer in shock, local media writes.

Ornua Ingredients Inc formally notified the Pennsylvania Department of Labor about the closure of its facility on Perry Highway in Slippery Rock Township. This plant, situated among six others in North America, specializes in custom formulating and manufacturing pasteurized processed cheese products for food manufacturing and food service clients.

The closure process, initiated in late February, is set to continue until late April. Ornua Ingredients cited the unforeseeable cancellation of a manufacturing agreement with its sole customer at the Slippery Rock plant as the primary reason for the plant’s closure, as stated by Jason Delaney, President of Ornua Ingredients, in the WARN notice. This abrupt decision highlights the challenges and uncertainties faced by global dairy manufacturers, reflecting the impact of unexpected disruptions on the industry.