Juanita’s Foods to move production to Santa Fe Springs

A mariachi group performs outside Juanita’s Foods’ Wilmington plant on Feb. 19, 2020. Photo by Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images

SANTA FE SPRINGS — Juanita’s Foods plans to move production from its longtime Wilmington plant to a 120,000-square-foot facility in Santa Fe Springs, keeping its manufacturing operations in Southern California after a nationwide search, according to a regional economic development alliance.

The company, known for its canned menudo and pozole, will occupy a facility at 13100 Arctic Circle. The move is the first deal announced by BIG 4, a partnership formed in October 2025 by Commerce, City of Industry, Santa Fe Springs and Vernon to work together on attracting and retaining businesses.

The project is backed by a Santa Fe Springs economic development incentives agreement, along with permitting and relocation support coordinated by the four cities, according to the alliance. Financial terms and a timetable for the move were not provided.

“We conducted an exhaustive nationwide search before deciding where Juanita’s Foods would build its next chapter,” said Jody Jordan, the company’s chief operating officer. “Ultimately, the combination of Santa Fe Springs’ business-friendly approach, the right facility and a competitive incentive package made staying in Southern California a no-brainer.”

Santa Fe Springs City Manager René Bobadilla said the partnership helped the cities respond more quickly to the company’s needs.

“By working together, we were able to align resources, move with greater speed, and give Juanita’s Foods a clear path to invest and grow here in the region,” Bobadilla said.

The BIG 4 cities say they collectively have 250 million square feet of industrial space and more than 5,000 businesses. Juanita’s Foods is the first company the alliance has worked with directly since its formation.