An international citrus company that is closing its Leesburg orange juice plant has laid off 101 employees during the first phase, with 16 more layoffs scheduled for later this fall.
The Cutrale Citrus Juices USA, Inc. factory at 11 Cloud Street in Leesburg has been largely vacated since the first phase of layoffs, which were scheduled for July 31.
According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the state of Florida Departmnt of Commerce in May, the company will lay off 16 more employees by October 31, 2024.
Leesburg-News.com first reported the facility’s closure in May.
According to that notice, the company’s “primary business partner” decided to move packaging operations from Leesburg to “their own facilities.”
Founded in 1967 by José Cutrale Jr., Sucocitrico Cutrale is still owned by the Cutrale family and based in Brazil.
Since its founding, the company has established itself as the one of largest exporters of orange juice in the world, with estimates suggesting it produces over 50% of orange juice worldwide.
