The Calistoga Beverage Co. is laying off 80 workers at its Napa Valley bottling plant amid sluggish sales of bottled water. The layoffs, which affect about three-quarters of the plant's workers, were announced Friday by the firm's parent company, Nestle Waters.
On Monday, 24 workers will be employed at the Calistoga Beverage, which is Calistoga's largest employer.
Production will be shifted to plants in Southern California, where bottling is cheaper than in Calistoga, a city located at the northern end of Napa Valley.
The layoffs are in response to poor sales throughout Nestle's beverage portfolio. U.S. sales of nonalcoholic beverages are expected to grow only 1 percent this year, with little increase projected next year.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
