Abbott to lay off nearly 200 as it closes plant in Fairfield

“This was a difficult decision to make.” Sarah Chomiak, divisional vice president for employee relations

Abbott Laboratories has announced plans to lay off nearly 200 employees in the Bay Area as it closes its plant in Solano County after two decades of operation.

The Illinois health manufacturing company plans to cut 195 positions at its 83,990-square-foot Abbott Nutrition facility in Fairfield starting May 18, extending until September, according to regulatory filings.

“This was a difficult decision to make and was reached only after analyzing the options available to the Company to obtain significant reductions in costs,” Sarah Chomiak, divisional vice president for employee relations, wrote in a letter to state and local officials notifying them of the layoffs.

The closure of the Solano County plant, listed as one of Abbott’s “priority manufacturing plants,” appears to coincide with the discontinuation of the ZonePerfect protein bars product line. The company confirmed this via an announcement on Instagram on March 20.

Abbott Nutrition, recognized for producing popular items like Ensure meal replacements and Similac infant formula, ranked third among Abbott Laboratories’ four divisions in terms of sales in 2023, contributing $8.15 billion to the company’s total global revenue of $40.1 billion, according to it its fourth-quarter earnings report.

In the United States alone, the division generated $3.4 billion in sales, constituting 22% of Abbott Laboratories’ domestic total revenue of $15.45 billion.

The company also operates a nutrition facility in Sturgis, Mich., and is constructing a new facility in Bowling Green, Ohio.