MONTAGUE — As a result of a planned consolidation of its plant-based protein production operations, Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is closing its factory at 153 Industrial Blvd., resulting in layoffs at one of the town’s larger employers.
The Sept. 22 announcement comes as the Canada-based Maple Leaf Foods, which acquired the locally-founded Lightlife Foods in 2017, plans to consolidate its U.S. plant-based protein production into a single “Plant Protein Centre of Excellence” in Indianapolis, closing both the Turners Falls production facility and another one in Seattle.
The plant is not closing immediately, however, as there will be a phased approach over the next 12 to 18 months, according to the announcement on the company’s website. Full closure is expected to be complete by late 2027.
According to the Maple Leaf Foods website, the company produces plant-based and tempeh [soy] products, with “Smart Bacon” and “Smart Dogs” among its most popular products. Its Turners Falls location has multiple departments on-site, including packing, maintenance, supply chain, human resources, food safety and quality assurance, among others.
The decision to close these two locations is part of Maple Leaf Foods’ “Fuel for Growth” initiative, the company’s announcement explains. This means consolidating production to one location to create manufacturing efficiencies, improve capacity, reduce the complexity of operations, and “establish a focused Centre of Excellence with the scale and capabilities to support Maple Leaf Foods’ plant protein brands more competitively.”
“Over the past several years, we have taken significant action to improve the performance
of our plant protein business, and we have made meaningful progress, but the category has changed significantly, and declining volumes have left our manufacturing network substantially underutilized,” President and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods Curtis Frank said about the decision to consolidate. “Maintaining three facilities at these utilization levels creates structural costs that are not sustainable over the long term.”
As this transition over the next year moves forward, production will continue at the Turners Falls and Seattle locations. The phased approach is intended to allow for continuity of business, support customer services and make a smooth transition of production to Indianapolis.
Maple Leaf Foods’ announcement notes that, as layoffs occur in Turners Falls, it expects to “invest in its Indianapolis facility and add team members to support the expanded scope of operations.” The company pledges to provide support and consider opportunities for the impacted employees at other Maple Leaf Foods facilities where feasible.
“Our colleagues in Seattle and Turners Falls have made important contributions to our business and have consistently demonstrated tremendous commitment to our customers, consumers and brands,” Frank said in a statement. “This decision is not a reflection of their performance or the quality of their work. We recognize how difficult this announcement is for them and their communities, and our priority will be to support affected team members with respect, fairness and transparency.”
The company’s website states that the Turners Falls factory has between 120 and 150 employees. Efforts to reach a spokesperson to further clarify staffing numbers were unsuccessful on Tuesday.
The history of Lightlife Foods has its roots in Greenfield, having been founded in 1979 as Tempeh Works before changing its name to Lightlife Foods in 1987. The business moved to its current building in Turners Falls in 1998. The 5.5-acre property was valued at $3.48 million in 2025 and last sold for $4.4 million, according to property records.
Montague Town Administrator Walter Ramsey relayed the “unfortunate news” of the factory’s closure to the Selectboard on Monday, stating that the company is a “staple” in the Airport Industrial Park and one of the town’s larger employers.
In terms of direct impact, Ramsey said Maple Leaf Foods is one of the larger users of the Clean Water Facility, meaning some revenue loss could come as a result of the plant’s closure. The hope is that another private company will purchase the property and continue operations, so it would remain a taxable entity.
As for the employees who are slated to be laid off, Ramsey said coordination of unemployment support systems is underway.
“I will say, in response to this announcement that came out last week, is we’re making sure that Maple Leaf is in contact with MassHire, which is the organization that’s responsible for helping the people getting laid off find new employment opportunities,” he said.
MassHire operates the MassHire Rapid Response to help connect people with their local career centers, like the Franklin Hampshire Career Center, along with other resources like one-on-one meetings to discuss individual needs, such as resume reviews or mock interviews. Details on the local center are available at masshirefhcareers.org.
Ramsey also noted that state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and her office are willing to help the town coordinate with the Franklin Regional Council of Governments on potential reuse of the property and to find a buyer within a “decent timeline.”
“What we hope, and suspect, [is] that it has some real marketable value because it has a large refrigerated space that’s really set up for food processing and storage,” Ramsey said of the factory’s attributes.
One idea, put forward by Selectboard member Nate Card, for future use of the site was to have a local produce processing facility. While Ramsey said he can’t speak to the idea’s feasibility without more information about the property, he said it’s something that can be brought forward for future discussions.
