Borden Dairy Closing Lafayette Plant After 60 Years, 149 Jobs Lost
The company confirmed Tuesday, November 10, that its facility at 1308 Bertrand Drive will officially cease operations on January 9, 2027.
The closure comes after years of financial challenges and restructuring for the dairy company, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020.
For employees, particularly those who have spent much of their working lives at the facility, the announcement means an uncertain start to the new year.
Borden Confirms Lafayette Plant Will Permanently Close
According to reporting from Acadiana News First, employees were called into a meeting Tuesday where company officials announced the closure and distributed packets outlining what would happen next.
In a statement obtained by the news outlet, New Dairy/Borden confirmed that the company had explored other options before making the decision to shut down its Lafayette operation.
The company said it could no longer sustain operations at the facility and acknowledged the impact the closure would have on employees and their families.
Borden also said it is coordinating with customers and suppliers to address changes resulting from the closure.
Nearly 150 Lafayette Employees Facing Job Losses
The shutdown will eliminate 149 positions, according to The Advocate.
Employee Tucker Myers told Acadiana News First that workers were offered severance and bonus packages as incentives to remain with the company through its final day of operation.
Myers said some employees suspected the closure was coming, but the official announcement was still difficult, especially for longtime workers who have spent more than a decade at the plant.
He also described operational setbacks earlier this year, including a cooling system failure that disrupted production.
While Myers believes those problems contributed to the company's difficulties, Borden has not publicly identified that incident as the reason for the closure.
The announcement also comes as employment at the facility had already declined. According to Lafayette Economic Development Authority data cited by The Advocate, the plant employed 235 people in its 2024-2025 report.
Borden Has Been Part of Lafayette Since 1966
The Lafayette facility opened in April 1966, when Borden unveiled a 33,400-square-foot dairy processing plant on Bertrand Drive.
Lafayette Mayor J. Rayburn Bertrand attended the original ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The plant quickly became an important part of the region's agricultural economy, purchasing milk from nearby dairy farmers and distributing products throughout Acadiana.
By 1967, the facility employed 92 people and had an annual payroll of more than $711,000. That same year, Borden spent more than $2.1 million purchasing milk from farmers in Lafayette Parish and surrounding communities.
The Lafayette operation eventually took on an even larger role in Louisiana after Borden closed its Baton Rouge facility on Plank Road in 2013 and consolidated those bottling operations in Lafayette.
Financial Struggles and Previous Borden Plant Closures
Borden's financial difficulties have extended well beyond Louisiana.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2020 before being acquired by Capitol Peak Partners in 2021 for approximately $340 million.
In the years that followed, Borden consolidated operations and closed manufacturing facilities in several states, including Alabama, Mississippi, Illinois and Wisconsin.
By late 2022, the Lafayette plant was reportedly one of only five remaining Borden fluid milk processing facilities nationwide.
Now, the Lafayette facility is preparing to join the list of shuttered operations.
What Happens Next for Borden Employees in Lafayette?
The plant is expected to remain operational until January 9, 2027, with eligible employees who remain through the closing date receiving the severance and bonus compensation outlined by the company, according to Myers.
It remains unclear what will happen to the Bertrand Drive property after the closure or whether any future use of the facility is being considered.
Acadiana News First also reported requesting a copy of the company's required WARN notice from state labor officials. Additional details about the closure and employee transitions could become available as that information is released.
It's the end of an era for a business that has been part of the Lafayette community for 60 years. But for the 149 employees affected, the more immediate concern is finding what comes next.
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Gallery Credit: Stacey Marcus
