A pet food plant in the northeast Iowa city of Independence will lay off 41 employees less than three years after the state awarded the company financial assistance for creating jobs.
Independence Premium Foods, owned by a New Jersey LLC, was projected to bring 229 jobs to the former Blue Buffalo pet food plant in Independence, which owner General Mills closed in 2023, resulting in the loss of 211 jobs.
Independence Premium Foods, a newly formed maker of human-grade dog food, invested $14.8 million in the facility, according to the Iowa Economic Development Authority. In turn, the IEDA awarded the company $1.5 million in direct financial assistance in November 2023 through its High Quality Jobs program.
The IEDA did not respond Thursday, July 16, when contacted about whether the company will have to refund some of the assistance because of the layoffs. They will take effect Aug. 9, according to Iowa’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN, website.
Independence Premium Foods CEO May Helen Horn told the Des Moines Register the company is working with the agency to adjust the agreement.
“We’re currently engaged with them to make sure that we’re not only honoring our commitment but what that might look like on a different timeline,” Horn said.
She said the layoffs stem from the company serving a single customer that is decreasing its volume. The plant is seeking to recruit and diversify its customers to help it grow and be able to offer new jobs, she said.
“We’re really optimistic about our future,” she said. “We really believe in our facility and what it can offer the marketplace. We want to continually push ourselves to be a great employer in the city. So we are working our best to diversify our business and make sure that the city is proud in Independence Premium.”
Iowa manufacturiers have taken a hit this year, laying off just over 1,000 workers so far, WARN data shows. Nearly 630 employees at Whirlpool Corp.’s Middle Amana plant will be cut in 2026, following 250 layoffs in 2025.
Iowa employers announced more layoffs in June than they had in a year, totaling 656 workers.
Staff writer Israel Schuman contributed to this article.
Kate Kealey is the growth and development reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on X at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Independence dog food plant plans layoffs after $1.5M state help
Reporting by Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
