Taylor Farms processing plant destroyed by fire could be rebuilt by April Skip to content NOWCAST KSBW Action News 8 Sunrise at 6 am Watch on Demand Menu Search Homepage Local News National News Project CommUNITY Community Champion KSBW Weather Forecasting Our Future Traffic Politics Get the Facts Youth Mental Health Matter of Fact Very Local Investigate Sports HS Sports Golden Whistle Health Entertainment Central Coast ABC News Team Contact Advertise with KSBW Advertise with Estrella Community Calendar Women in Ag Weather Kids Contests News We Love Upload Editorials Privacy Notice Notice at Collection Terms of Use Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads 46°Weather Search Severe Weather There is currently 1 active weather alert Monterey, CA93940 46° Sunny Chance of precipitation 2% Change MORE 2 / 2 Press enter to search Type to Search Search location by ZIP code ZIP Current location Monterey, CA 93940 Advertisement RECOMMENDED Phones likely belonging to passengers on Alaska Airlines flight found on roadside Hazel Hawkins Hospital receives letter of intent from potential buyer Massive lawsuit filed by hundreds of Pajaro residents against Monterey and Santa Cruz counties for 'negligence' Monterey and Santa Cruz counties looking to ratify disaster proclamations following swells in December Mother injured in Hollister fire after saving her 3-year-old son from the flames Sinéad O’Connor died of natural causes Campaign to save Benito the Giraffe wins him a new, more spacious home in warmer southern Mexico Lisa Bonet files for divorce from Jason Momoa 18 years after they became a couple Taylor Farms processing plant destroyed by fire could be rebuilt by spring 2023 Share Copy Link Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied! Updated: 7:13 PM PDT Jun 29, 2022 Infinite Scroll Enabled Felix Cortez Reporter Taylor Farms processing plant destroyed by fire could be rebuilt by spring 2023 Share Copy Link Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied! Updated: 7:13 PM PDT Jun 29, 2022 Infinite Scroll Enabled Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration -:-Loaded: 0.00%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently behind liveLIVERemaining Time -0:00 1xPlayback RateChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedAudio TrackPicture-in-PictureFullscreenThis is a modal window.Sorry, this video is not available, please check back later.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.✕ GOOD EVENING. I'M ERIN CLARK. I'M DAN GREEN. WE START TONIGHT WITH AN UPDATE ON EFFORTS TO REBUILD A LARGE FOOD PROCESSING PLANT IN SALINAS.... DESTROYED BY FIRE MORE THAN 2- MONTHS AGO. THAT PLANT IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY TAYLOR FARMS... AND TONIGHT THEY'RE GIVING US AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE REBUILDING EFFORTS. WE GET THE STORY FROM ACTION NEWS 8 REPORTER FELIX CORTEZ LIVE AT THE PROCESSING PLANT.. ### DAN/ERIN.. WE'RE STANDING WHERE THAT PROCESSING PLANT ONCE STOOD.. THE DEMOLITION IS DONE.. NOW BEGINS THE RECONSTRUCTION.. IT WAS A 4-ALARM BLAZE THAT COULD BE SEEN FOR MILES.. THE FIRE AT A TAYLOR FARMS PRODUCE PROCESSING FACILITY IN SALINAS.. IT STARTED IN APRIL.. JUST DAYS BEFORE THE AG GIANT WAS TO SWITCH PRODUCTION FROM YUMA TO THE SALINAS PLANT.. (JOSE 53:19 YEAH I COULDN'T BE BELIEVE IT, : 22 IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH SAD, MAD A LOT OF THINGS GOING THROW MY HEAD AT THAT TIME WHEN I SHOWED UP AND SEEN THE SMOKE COMING OUT OF ROOM 3 IT WAS JUST CRAZY :32) WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARED.. THE FACILITY'S 60- THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT PROCESSING PLANT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.. FORTUNATELY FIREFIGHTERS WERE ABLE TO SAVE THE COOLING AND SHIPPING FACILITIES.. (NAT POP JACK HAMMER) TWO WEEKS LATER WORK BEGAN ON DEMOLISHING THE SKELETON.. REMOVING DEBRIS.. AND PREPPING THE AREA FOR REBUILDING.. DEMOLITION WRAPPED UP LAST WEEK.. CONSTRUCTION SET TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK.. TAYLOR FARMS SAID IT'S BEEN A COMMUNITY WIDE EFFORT TO GET TO THIS POINT.. (RACHEL 57:19 THE CITY OF SALINAS HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL TO GET US BACK UP AND RUNNING AND EMPLOYEES BACK TO WORK :24 OUR ENGINEERING TEAMS SOME THAT HAVE COME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO HELP US :29 OUR CONSTRUCTION TEAMS OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE BEEN LOYAL AND SUPPORTIVE DURING THIS :36) TAYLOR FARMS.. SAYS THE NEW FACILITY.. WILL BE STATE OF THE ART.. (RACHEL 1:00:14 BUT NOW WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT DESIGN :17 AND COME UP WITH A LAYOUT FOR THAT DESIGN OF THE PROCESSING FACILITY AND COME TOGETHER WITH A FULLY AUTOMATED LINE :23) RECOVERING FROM THE FIRE.. IS KEY TO TAYLOR FARMS.. THE PROCESSING FACILITY EMPLOYS NEARLY A THOUSAND PEOPLE.. AND PROVIDES FRESH PRODUCE FOR THEIR WEST COAST CUSTOMERS THAT INCLUDE RESTAURANTS AND SCHOOLS.. (JOSE 55:22 MAKES ME HAPPY THAT IT'S COMING BACK TO LIFE, WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE BACK AGAIN NEXT YEAR HERE HOPEFULLY :27) AND BACK HERE LIVE WHERE THE FACILITY ONCE STOOD.. IF CONSTRUCTION STAYS ON TRACK.. THE HOPE IS TO HAVE THE FACILITY BACK UP AND RUNNING NEXT APRIL.. ON THE 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THAT DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.. IN SALINAS FELIX CORTEZ KSBW ACTION NEWS 8.## AS FOR THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.. IT'S STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. BUT SOON AFTER THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT... INVESTIGATORS INDICATE GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Your Email AddressSubmit Privacy Notice Advertisement Taylor Farms processing plant destroyed by fire could be rebuilt by spring 2023 Share Copy Link Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied! Updated: 7:13 PM PDT Jun 29, 2022 Infinite Scroll Enabled Felix Cortez Reporter More than two and a half months after a major fire ripped through a Taylor Farms processing plant, the company is making great strides in clearing the debris and getting ready for reconstruction.“Makes me happy that it’s coming back to life, we’re all going to be back again next year here hopefully,” said Jose Maldonado, facility coordinator for the processing and cooling plant on Abbott Street.Fire ripped through the facility on April 13, destroying a 60,000 square foot section of the plant. A majority of the 154,000 square foot facility that is used for cooling and shipping was not damaged.Taylor Farms is working quickly to get the damaged portion of the plant rebuilt. Last week demolition of the burned-out portion was completed and reconstruction is scheduled to begin next week.A company spokeswoman said it has been a community-wide effort to get the facility cleaned up so construction can begin.“The city of Salinas has been phenomenal to get us back up and running and employees back to work our engineering teams some that have come out of retirement to help us our construction teams our employees and our customers that have been loyal and supportive during this,” said Rachel Molatore, spokeswoman for Taylor Farms.The processing plant is one of 21 facilities operated by the ag giant in North America and provides a majority of west coast food service customers with fresh lettuce and vegetables. “We’re operating in Canada, the U.S., and in Mexico so with that footprint we’ve been able to lean on some of our other facilities,” Molatore said.When the fire broke out Taylor Farms was in the process of shifting its winter food processing from Yuma, Arizona to the Salinas plant.“Everything was already being torn down in Yuma to be sent this way,” Maldonado said.Molatore said an exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined but soon after the fire was put out firefighters said maintenance crews doing welding may have ignited the 4-alarm blaze.A dollar amount of the damage has yet to be tallied. But Molatore said reconstruction of the facility could result in a more state-of-the-art production facility.“Now we can take a look at that design and come up with a layout for that design of the processing facility and come together with a fully automated line,” said Molatore, adding that no jobs would be lost.Within weeks of the fire, the facility was back up and running as a cooling and shipping plant. The facility employs nearly 1,000 people and Taylor Farms says no one lost their job.If construction stays on track the processing side of the plant could be up and running next April. The company would like to have a ribbon-cutting on the 1-year anniversary of the destructive fire.“Happy, excited it’s coming back,” Maldonado said. SALINAS, Calif. — More than two and a half months after a major fire ripped through a Taylor Farms processing plant, the company is making great strides in clearing the debris and getting ready for reconstruction.“Makes me happy that it’s coming back to life, we’re all going to be back again next year here hopefully,” said Jose Maldonado, facility coordinator for the processing and cooling plant on Abbott Street. Advertisement Fire ripped through the facility on April 13, destroying a 60,000 square foot section of the plant. A majority of the 154,000 square foot facility that is used for cooling and shipping was not damaged.Taylor Farms is working quickly to get the damaged portion of the plant rebuilt. Last week demolition of the burned-out portion was completed and reconstruction is scheduled to begin next week.A company spokeswoman said it has been a community-wide effort to get the facility cleaned up so construction can begin.“The city of Salinas has been phenomenal to get us back up and running and employees back to work our engineering teams some that have come out of retirement to help us our construction teams our employees and our customers that have been loyal and supportive during this,” said Rachel Molatore, spokeswoman for Taylor Farms. The processing plant is one of 21 facilities operated by the ag giant in North America and provides a majority of west coast food service customers with fresh lettuce and vegetables.