Neither party involved in the sale of Golden Island Jerky Co.’s Rancho Cucamonga factory has a specific plan to offer jobs to any of the 371 workers who manufactured the product until they were laid off last month.
The company, which had made Asian-themed jerky snacks in Rancho Cucamonga since 1997, was sold by Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest producers of mean products. The buyer was Jack Link’s Protein Snacks, a Minong, Wisc.-based company and one the major manufacturers of jerky.
As a result of the sale, it was announced on Dec. 13 that the Rancho Cucamonga factory would shut down, terminating all 371 jobs.
Abbey Miller, a Jack Link’s spokesperson, said in an email that Golden Island’s products will continue to be manufactured and sold under the same label. She said that Jack Link’s has four facilities in the United States that will absorb the production.
Golden Island uses a specific cooking and marination process for its Asian flavors, with jerky flame-grilled in small batches. The same recipes will be used in Jack Link’s facilities. Miller said. She would not specify where Golden Inland’s products will be made.
“We are committed to providing high-quality, great-tasting protein snacks, but keep our proprietary process close to our chest,” Miller wrote.
When asked if any Rancho Cucamonga employees would be offered positions and assistance to relocate, Miller first suggested discussing that question with Tyson staff.
But she added in a subsequent email that, “unfortunately,” there was no plan to utilize any of the laid-off Rancho Cucamonga workers.
Tyson spokesperson Worth Sparkman said in an email that the company “worked to ensure the employees affected by the closure were informed about unemployment benefits and and potential opportunities with Tyson Foods.”
Sparkman added that employees are welcome to apply for any opening within Tyson’s network. The only food processing facilities the Arkansas- based company has in either the Pacific or Mountain time zones are in Phoenix and in Kennewick, Wash.
