Smithfield Foods, Citing High Costs of Operating in California, to Close Pork Plant

Smithfield Foods Inc., the largest pork processor in the U.S. by volume, is closing an 1,800-person plant in California and shrinking the size of its hog herd in the region, saying the cost of doing business in the state wasn’t worth it.

Smithfield, owned by Hong Kong-based pork conglomerate WH Group said Friday that it would close the plant in Vernon, Calif., just outside of Los Angeles, in early 2023, citing higher taxes, utility costs and labor costs in the state compared with other areas where it operates.