GAFFNEY, S.C. — Nestlé USA plans to move production from an Ohio factory it is closing to its frozen-food plant in Gaffney, a shift that adds work to one of Cherokee County’s largest manufacturing sites and caps five years of heavy capital spending there.
The company confirmed Oct. 19 that it will gradually shut its factory in Solon, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb, and transfer that production to the Gaffney facility, according to Cleveland’s 19 News and News 5 Cleveland. Nestlé described the move as part of an effort to optimize its manufacturing network. Food Processing magazine, citing Cleveland-area reports, said Solon production is expected to end by the third quarter of 2027 and the factory to close by the end of that year. Nestlé has not said how many Ohio jobs are affected, and research and corporate functions on the Solon campus will remain.
The Solon factory has reportedly made pouches for Nestlé Professional, the company’s food-service business, according to Food Processing. That work will move to Gaffney over the coming months. The Post and Courier reported that some Ohio employees will relocate to Gaffney and that headcount at the South Carolina plant is expected to grow as operations shift, though the company has not released a hiring figure or said whether new building space will be required.
The Gaffney plant, at 2132 Old Georgia Highway, opened in 1980 and employs just over 900 people, according to the Post and Courier. It produces mostly single-serve frozen meals for brands including Stouffer’s and Lean Cuisine. Nestlé has invested about $250 million in the site through a $100 million expansion in 2021 and a $150 million investment announced in late 2024, Food Processing reported. The 2024 project added a new single-serve frozen meal line along with expanded automation and digital technology, according to a release from Gov. Henry McMaster’s office at the time, which quoted Commerce Secretary Harry M. Lightsey III calling it “a major victory for Cherokee County.”
For the Upstate’s industrial market, the move shows how consolidation by a large manufacturer can steer volume toward a plant that has recently received capital upgrades. Added production and any relocating staff could support nearby suppliers, cold-storage and distribution providers, and local housing demand in Cherokee County, though the scale will depend on details Nestlé has yet to disclose.
Brokers and developers tracking Cherokee County should watch for any county incentive filings, permits or supplier announcements tied to the transfer, which would signal whether the shift brings additional construction or simply fills capacity already built at the Old Georgia Highway campus.
Sources: The Post and Courier, Food Processing, 19 News, News 5 Cleveland, Office of the S.C. Governor
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