A plant-based food company that once appeared poised for major growth is now exiting Washington state, leaving more than 100 workers without jobs just over two years after opening its factory.
What happened?
According to Green Queen, a WARN notice filed with Washington state said that No Meat Factory will close its Stanwood plant, with 123 layoffs scheduled for September 16.
The outlet reported that the WARN Act applies to major layoffs or plant closures affecting at least 50 workers and is intended to give employees 60 days to line up another job or enter retraining. The job losses will span several parts of the company, including senior leadership.
The company makes plant-based substitutes for chicken, pork, lamb, beef, and fish for business customers, as well as products such as meatballs, bacon, crab cakes, cauliflower burgers, and spinach-broccoli popcorn.
Green Queen reported that No Meat Factory was founded in 2019 by Dieter Thiem, founder of MD Veggie Food, and Leonidas Bell, a former ADM executive.
In early 2023, the company raised $42 million in a Series B round. A month later, it bought the 200,000-square-foot Stanwood facility for $19.4 million.
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Before No Meat Factory moved in, the plant was run by Twin City Foods, a frozen vegetable processor that shut that site down in 2018 after many years in the city.
Why does it matter?
The closure will leave 123 people without paychecks in Stanwood. Even with advance notice, mass layoffs can create immediate financial strain, especially when they affect employees across multiple levels of a company.
Reducing your meat consumption can shrink your carbon footprint, as plant-based diets generally produce far less planet-warming pollution than diets high in meat.
However, when a plant like this closes its doors, it could remove plant-based options from menus and grocers alike.
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The news from No Meat Factory comes at a time when other plant-based food providers are struggling. As Green Queen observed, Beyond Meat saw its stock hit a record low in 2025, while Nestlé is letting go of workers at a plant-based food plant in Czechia due to weak demand.
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