City looks to help former Andersen and Sons employees
The ripple effect of Andersen and Sons Shelling in Vina closing its doors and laying off nearly 400 employees has led Corning’s City Hall to rally its sources to help those individuals find jobs and pay for necessary living expenses.
Corning City Manager Brant Mesker said during the Aug. 13 City Council meeting that 75 percent of the employees laid off from the nut shelling and processing business live in Tehama County, and of that 75 percent, 55 percent are Corning residents.
“We have applied for emergency funding for low to medium income individuals and families affected by the closure. The funding can help pay for rent, mortgage and utilities,” Mesker said. “We are partnering with several employment resources and other agencies to do all we can to decrease the potential effect this unfortunate event has caused.”
He said people impacted by the closure of Andersen and Sons can go onto the City’s website to learn of the details associated with the city’s efforts. The information is posted in English and Spanish.
City Mayor Robert Snow said he is pleased to see “these resources coming to town to help those who have been laid off.”
Pat and Mike Andersen, former owners and operators of Andersen and Sons, are fourth-generation walnut farmers whose great-grandfather originally bought the Vina acreage in 1904 and planted it in row crops. Their grandfather planted the first walnuts in 1944, the year their father, Frank, was born.
Both Mike and Pat grew up on the Vina ranch, which has now gone into bankruptcy.
For years, Mike operated the farming, marketing and processing side of things, while Pat ran the operation’s finances. Their father, Frank, remained semi-retired.
Andersen & Sons farmed 2,500 acres of their own nuts, with about 180 outside growers who they bought nuts from.
Over the past few years the brothers upgraded the Vina facilities to modern technology, both at the plant and in the orchard.
However, the timing of that growth and the associated costs, partnered with a falling walnut industry, may have proven to be the company’s demise.
On Aug. 8, the Superior Court of California, County of Tehama appointed David P. Stapleton as receiver of the receivership entities (Andersen and Sons). He was appointed by the court to care for and preserve the assets of Andersen and Sons, and as an agent of the court has full control and authority over the operations of the company, according to the Stapleton Group.
Stapleton is in the process of assessing the operations and cash position of Andersen and Sons, as he decides the next step based on details and information garnered.
“The Receiver is hopeful that a new operator will be found for the shelling operation,” Stapleton said in a letter sent out to businesses, operations, growers, vendors and other entities owed money by Andersen and Sons at the time of the company’s bankruptcy. “At this time, the shelling operation will not be able to service current contracts.”
“Due to its importance to the North Valley community, Andersen’s hulling operation is being evaluated for continued operations to support the needs for the 2024 harvest. The Receiver has undertaken discussions with the company’s lenders to explore this possibility,” the letter reads.
Updated in 2017 the Andersen’s storage, shelling, processing and packaging plant was very close to being fully automated and as of 2022 able to put out 30 to 40 tons of shelled walnuts an hour.
