-Editorial
Spreckels Sugar Company, Inc. has announced it will permanently close its Brawley facility, located at 395 West Keystone Road, impacting all employees currently working at the plant. The decision was shared with staff during a company-wide announcement on Tuesday and followed up with an official written notice.
According to a letter delivered to employees, the closure is scheduled to take effect on July 31, 2025, at which time all positions at the facility will be eliminated. The move marks the end of operations at a site that has been part of the community for decades.
“This closure is expected to be permanent, and we regret to inform you that your position will be eliminated on July 31,” the letter read. Spreckels Sugar cited the decision as difficult and stated that it will immediately begin negotiations with UFCW Local 135, the union representing many of the plant’s workers, regarding the effects of the closure.
Employees will receive individual letters in the coming weeks with more specific information about their separation and the severance package being offered. The company also confirmed that there are no “bumping rights” under the current collective bargaining agreement, meaning affected employees will not have the option to transfer into other roles within the company.
Spreckels Sugar Company, a subsidiary of Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative, is the producer of Spreckels Sugar products. The Spreckels Sugar labels are primarily marketed in the western half of the United States. Spreckels Sugar operates one beet sugar factory located in Brawley, California and a beet seed processor located in Sheridan, Wyoming.
The news of the closure came as the Imperial County Board of Supervisors meeting began on April 22nd.
Supervisor Ryan Kelley reacted to news of the Spreckels Sugar Company’s impending closure during the April 22nd, Board of Supervisors meeting, calling the development “a major loss” for Imperial Valley.
“We’re trying to ascertain the causes behind this decision,” Kelley said. “We are working to open a dialogue with all parties involved, and hopefully, we can find some kind of solution.”
Kelley emphasized the economic weight the facility carries in the region, citing its ties to 28,000 acres of sugar beet contracts, 100 full-time jobs, and approximately 300 part-time positions.
“This is one of the major pieces of industry we have in this valley,” he said. “Unless we can find a way to keep it standing, this closure is going to have a serious impact.”
Supervisor Jesús Escobar shared an emotional statement, emphasizing the broader impact on Imperial Valley’s already limited private sector.
“We work so hard — and I mean so hard — to drive economic development in this valley,” Escobar said. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million times: you take out the government sector and the ag sector, and we have very limited opportunities outside of that.”
Escobar reflected on his past in the private sector, recalling when he worked in banking and witnessed firsthand the scale and value of large employers. “At Valley Independent Bank and Rabobank, we had 250 full-time employees. The average wage, even 15 years ago, was over $25 an hour — from the CEO to the teller and everyone in between.”
The Spreckels facility, which supports 28,000 acres of sugar beet production and employs around 100 full-time and 300 seasonal workers, represents a critical piece of the local economy.
“We need to look at every possible opportunity to keep moving forward, to create prosperity, and to deliver on the promise of a better future for Imperial Valley,” Escobar said.
Board Chairman John Hawk reflected on the far-reaching impact of losing a major crop processor in the region.
“Any time we lose a crop in our Valley, it’s serious,” Hawk said. “There are at least 400 jobs that could be affected if Spreckels closes. It puts a lot of pressure on others — not just in agriculture, but across the board.”
Hawk also raised concerns about the broader implications for water use, noting the facility’s closure could mean the loss of over 100,000 acre-feet of water.
“That’s water that now has to be reallocated or find a new use. So it’s not just an employment issue — it’s an economic issue for all of us,” he said.
