FRESNO, CALIF. — As Cargill’s former beef plant in Fresno, Calif., switches ownership, nearly 180 employees will be laid off.

In May, Central Valley Meats announced its plans to acquire the Fresno facility for an undisclosed amount.

With a capacity of approximately 1,600 head a day, the facility currently employs around 900 personnel. Both Cargill and Central Valley Meats expressed commitments to retaining as many employees as possible through the ownership transition.

According to a detailed WARN report, 178 of the 900 employees will not be retained by Central Valley Meats once it takes over.

“The affected employees will continue to receive pay and benefits for 60 days,” a Cargill spokesperson said. “We are sad to see the people impacts and are committed to providing support and resources, including severance packages and job search, application and interview assistance for those affected.”