Communities are hit hard when multiple major businesses close down operations and lay off several employees.
Major closings and layoffs at several different manufacturing businesses recently hit a couple of California communities that will disrupt employees’ and certain consumers’ lives.
Wineries close, lay off workers
Such was the case in California’s Napa Valley, where a decline in volume and revenue in the wine industry led to winery closings.
U.S. wine industry volume declined to 329 million cases produced in 2025, compared to 335.9 million cases in 2024.
Wine industry revenue also declined in 2025 to $74.3 billion, compared to $75.5 billion in 2024, according to Silicon Valley Bank’s U.S. Wine Industry Report.
Lower wine consumption has led a couple of winemakers to shut down winery operations and lay off employees.
Former NFL head coach Dick Vermeil decided to close his Vermeil Wines tasting room in downtown Napa, Calif., on Jan. 31, the winery posted on Instagram, as it evolves with the rapidly changing wine market.
Gallo shuts major winery
Also, E. & J. Gallo, the largest wine company in the U.S., is permanently closing its Ranch Winery in St. Helena, Calif., and laying off all 56 employees by April 15, 2026, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice it filed with the California Employment Development Department on Feb. 12.
About a 30-minute drive from Napa, a couple of major manufacturers are closing facilities and laying off workers.
Anheuser-Busch closed its Fairfield, Calif., brewery on Feb. 22 and laid off all 238 employees.
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Jelly Belly shutters corporate office
Finally, beloved candy company Jelly Belly will close its corporate-commercial operations at its headquarters and factory, also in Fairfield, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice posted on the Facebook page of the city’s mayor, Catherine Moy, on Feb. 20.
Jelly Belly’s owner, Ferrara Candy Company, sent a WARN notice to Moy, asserting that it will close the office and lay off 69 workers at the Fairfield facilities beginning June 1 and extending until mid-January 2027.
Jobs affected by the layoffs will include web developers, customer service representatives, and accountants, according to SFGate.
“We write to inform you that Ferrara Candy Company is ceasing its Fairfield corporate-commercial operations, located at One Jelly Belly Lane, 2400 N. Watney Way, 2500 N. Watney Way, and 2385 N. Watney Way, Fairfield, CA 94533,” Ferrara Candy Assistant General Counsel Sukrat Baber wrote in the WARN notice.
“This action will not impact any Fairfield Manufacturing, Warehousing, or Visitor Center roles. This layoff is expected to be permanent,” Baber wrote.
Candy company lays off 69 workers
Of the 374 employees at the Jelly Belly facilities, 69 workers, or about 18.5%, will be laid off. Jelly Belly, whose history dates back 157 years, will continue making candy, warehousing product, and offering tours.
“These reductions were expected based on what they told us previously when they first acquired Jelly Belly,” Fairfield City Manager David Gassaway wrote in a letter to the City Council.
“Impacted employees are eligible for relocation benefits to other Ferrara facilities,” Gassaway wrote.
Ferrara has no plans to close the factory.
Chicago-based Ferrara Candy Company acquired Jelly Belly in 2023. The Fairfield-based company was founded by Gustav Goelitz in 1869 in Illinois and would later become the Herman Goelitz Candy Company.
In 2001, the company was renamed Jelly Belly Candy Company.
More closings:
- Bankrupt restaurant chains permanently close popular locations
- Major retail chain closes 35 stores nationwide, no bankruptcy
- Another major retail chain closes warehouse operations
Jelly Belly’s facilities include a factory, offices, warehouse operations, retail store, cafe, museum, and meeting rooms.
Customers, like me, have taken the tour, visited the retail store, cafe, and museum on many occasions.
One of my favorite events at Jelly Belly is the annual Candy Palooza celebration that is usually held on the last weekend in September, when the candy company hosts arts and crafts booths, food booths, entertainment, and candy sampling, while waiving its Factory Tour and Museum admission fees.
Jelly Belly also celebrates several holiday seasons, including Christmas, Chanukah, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and several others.
Jelly Belly facilities:
- Factory
- Offices
- Warehouse
- Retail store
- Cafe
- Museum
- Meeting rooms
Related: Giant winemaker closes major Napa Valley winery, lays off dozens
