California’s state song will soon be changed from “California, Here I Come!” to “California, There It Goes!” An American icon, the Campbell Soup Company, is closing its plant in Sacramento, leaving 700 people without jobs. The plant was built in 1947, and some of its workers have worked there for forty years or more.
Most of the items produced in Sacramento will be transferred to Campbell’s plants in Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio. Another plant in South Plainfield, New Jersey is being closed as well. Mark Alexander, the president of Campbell North America, said:
We recognize this is difficult news for employees in Sacramento and South Plainfield. Campbell is committed to helping them work through this transition. We expect the steps we’re announcing today to improve our competitiveness and performance by increasing our asset utilization, lowering our total delivered costs and enhancing the flexibility of our manufacturing network. These actions also will eliminate the capital investments needed to maintain the Sacramento plant.
Campbell’s isn’t the only big business to flee California’s oppressive business climate this week. Comcast announced two days ago that it will close all three of its call centers in Northern California, including one in Sacramento. 1,000 Comcast employees, including 300 in Sacramento, will have to pull up stakes.
It used to be that people pulled up stakes to move to California; now the only stakes involved are the stakes driven through the dying state’s businesses’ collective hearts.