Officials with Cargill have announced the closing early next year, of the company’s shell egg production facility in Panora. The move means the elimination of some 55 jobs from the area. Two shift lines operate at the Panora plant, producing premium breakfast products for a variety of companies. One is expected to shut down in January, the other in March. A third shift is tasked with sanitizing the facility.

In a press release, Cargill says “After careful consideration, Cargill Kitchen Solutions has decided to close its hard-cooked egg facility in Panora and shift production to Big Lake, Minnesota. This was a hard decision to reach, especially due to the impact on our people. This decision allows Cargill Kitchen Solution to consolidate all products that require shell eggs as their raw material into one facility that can handle current and future demand. It also enables greater efficiency by focusing our production, supply chain, and quality assurance efforts in one location. We expect that we will shift production over the next six months and will add additional staff at the Big Lake location to accommodate the increased production there.”

The company says Cargill Kitchen Solutions’ business continues to perform well.